A question that has been coming up every day recently is that of whether you can have Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations while on treatment for Hep C.
The simple answer is yes you can, but it’s possibly better to wait until you finish the treatment.
With Hepatitis A it is a faecal-oral transmission meaning you get it from contaminated water or food that has human poo on it. It is rare in the 1st world and the vaccination only provides 1-3 years of protection so tends to be used in people travelling to the 3rd world but not as a routine item.
With Hepatitis B the vaccination only makes sense in the context of being both Hep B surface antibody negative and Hep B core antibody negative. These patients are non-immune and have not been exposed to Hep B.
Patients with a negative Hep B surface antibody and a positive Hep B core antibody have chronic Hep B and WILL NOT benefit from vaccination. The horse has bolted as it were and if they could produce the protective surface antibody they already would have.
Booster shots for patients whose protective Hep B surface antibody levels fall below 10 are no longer recommended as the protection lasts.
http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/7B28E87511E08905CA257D4D001DB1F8/$File/Aus-Imm-Handbook.pdf
Page 226
Booster doses
Booster doses of hepatitis B vaccine (after completion of a primary course using
a recommended schedule) are not recommended for immunocompetent persons.
This applies to children and adults, including healthcare workers and dentists.74-80
This is because there is good evidence that a completed primary course of
hepatitis B vaccination provides long-lasting protection. Even though vaccineinduced
antibody levels may decline with time and may become undetectable,
immune memory persists and is thought to result in a protective immune
response on re-exposure.81 However, booster doses are recommended for persons
who are immunocompromised, in particular those with either HIV infection or
renal failure. The time for boosting in such persons should be decided by regular
monitoring of anti-HBs levels at 6- to 12-monthly intervals.
.
