Hepatitis B Vaccination Required For Students

A three-shot series of vaccinations against hepatitis B will be required next fall for children attending public schools in Washington, the state Health Department says.

“The hepatitis B vaccine series can take up to six months to complete,” immunization program manager Linda S. Johnson said in a news release. “That’s why they need to get started now.”

The requirement is new. Previously, vaccinations against hepatitis B were recommended but not required.

Hepatitis B, a virus that attacks the liver, can cause serious illness and death. The younger a person is when infected, the more likely he or she is to become a carrier and suffer from chronic liver disease or liver cancer later in life.

The virus is spread by direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids from an infected person. Such contact can be experienced by sharing a toothbrush or borrowing earrings, the department said.

Between 200,000 and 300,000 Americans are infected each year, the agency said.