Hepatitis B

In a regular clinic, these vaccines are costly and you need to pay cash upfront for them. However, through our travel clinic, we can bill insurance directly and save you money upfront.

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus which infects the liver. It is one of the most common vaccines for travelers. Majority of adults who contract Hepatitis B are able to clear the virus within six months. There is no medicine or cure to treat Hepatitis B, however, it can be prevented by a vaccine. However, antiviral drugs may be used in some chronic cases.

Your risk is dependent on various factors such as the destination, length of your trip, what you will be doing while there, and whether you will have any direct contact with bodily fluids or blood. The risk is increased with activities such as sharing needles, surgeries, dental work, unprotected sex, tattooing, and acupuncture.

This is a highly infectious disease which is spread person to person through infected bodily fluids such as blood for example. It can be spread through:

• Blood transfusions, organ transplants, or other medical actions involving bodily fluids in countries where blood products have not been screened properly for blood-transmitted viruses
• Unprotected sex with an infected person
• Sharing needles or equipment for injecting drugs
• Unsterilized dental or medical equipment, including tattoo and body piercing tools
• Sharing toothbrushes or razors
• Childbirth (mother to infant)
• Household contact between family members

Symptoms can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months to appear. Symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Joint pain
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Dark urine
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)