A review of hepatitis B vaccination.

Hepatitis B is one of the most important infectious causes of acute and chronic liver disease both in the US and worldwide. In order to combat the life-threatening effects of hepatitis B infection, recombinant hepatitis B vaccines have been developed. The medical and scientific communities have generally accepted that recombinant hepatitis B vaccine - a highly purified, genetically engineered, single antigen vaccine - is a safe vaccine. Information is presented showing that hepatitis B vaccine contains yeast, aluminium, thimerosal and hepatitis B surface antigen epitopes, which may result in hepatitis B vaccine being associated with autoimmune diseases among susceptible adult vaccine recipients. There is little doubt that the benefits of this vaccine overall far outweigh its risks. Physicians and patients should evaluate the risks and benefits of hepatitis B vaccination and, together, make an informed consent decision as to whether to undergo vaccination. Individuals who experience an adverse reaction to hepatitis B vaccination should report it to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database and be advised that they may be eligible for compensation from the no-fault National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, administered by the US Court of Claims. The authors strongly urge that additional research be conducted into the molecular basis of adverse events following hepatitis B vaccine administration, so that further recommendations may be made on how to improve their safety profiles.