Side Effects of the Hepatitis B VaccineHepatitis B is a potentially deadly virus that can be prevented by a vaccine for most people in the United States. Since 1982, people have the option of receiving Recombivax, which is a Hepatitis B vaccine recombinant. This immunization is highly effective at preventing the Hepatitis B virus from attacking your body, which can cause liver infection, chronic disease, and cancer.

However, in rare cases, the Hepatitis B vaccine can cause serious side effects and permanent injuries. Victims of Hep B vaccine injuries may be eligible for compensation from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Keep reading this article to learn more about these Hepatitis B vaccine reactions and what you can do about them.

What Is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B affects millions of people globally. This virus causes chronic liver infections that increase the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

One of the problems with Hep B is controlling the spread of infection. The Hepatitis B virus can survive up to a week outside a person’s body, and can only be detected over 30 days post-infection.

The Hepatitis B virus can be spread a number of ways, including:

  • Birth. In places where Hepatitis B is common, it’s often transmitted at birth from mother to child. It can also be spread during childhood through blood exposure, such as between friends or siblings.
  • Fluid exposure. Hepatitis B may also be spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as mucus, saliva, or menstrual fluid.
  • Sexual transmission. As the virus is present in vaginal and seminal fluids, the spread of Hepatitis B may occur during sexual activities.
  • Contamination. Any instrument that comes in contact with infected blood has the potential to infect another patient. Common methods of transmission include non-sterile needles and syringes (in hospitals or among persons who use drugs), razor blades, dental tools, and tattoo needles.

Another reason the virus spreads so quickly is that most people do not have any symptoms during the period where they are most infectious. It’s only after several weeks that the virus begins to cause the following symptoms:

  • Jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes)
  • Dark urine
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Extreme fatigue.

Hepatitis B is characterized by recurrent bouts of liver infection, which over the years cause scarring in the liver tissue that increases the risk of liver cancer.

A patient who is suffering from a severe bout of hepatitis could suffer acute liver failure, a condition that must be treated immediately to avoid death.

Side Effects of the Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B vaccinations require three different injections of the vaccine given over the course of six months. Recombivax has been known to interact with other vaccines, as well as some medications.

The most common complications occur in patients taking steroid medicines, psoriasis drugs, rheumatoid arthritis medications, treatment for autoimmune disorders, or medications to prevent organ transplant rejection. Patients should consult with a doctor before receiving Recombivax while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Most people who receive the Hepatitis B vaccine do not experience any lasting effects. The most common reactions you may experience after a Recombivax vaccination include:

  • Fever. Patients may experience a temperature of 99.9°F or higher for one or two days after immunization.
  • Soreness in your arm. Patients may experience shoulder pain and soreness or swelling in the arm at the injection site. These symptoms typically go away after a month.
  • Cold and flu symptoms. Many children who receive this vaccination suffer irritability, sore throats, nasal congestion, headaches, tiredness, or stomach effects (such as nausea or loss of appetite).
  • Severe adverse reactions. Very few patients may experience sudden onset spells of fainting, dizziness, changes in vision, or numbness or tingling in the extremities.

Serious Injuries Linked to Hepatitis B Vaccinations

Sometimes, you may experience adverse side effects of the Hepatitis B vaccine for months or years. In these situations, you may be eligible for compensation from the United States federal government.

According to the Vaccine Injury Table created by the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, the following serious (and often permanent) injuries have been linked to the Hepatitis B vaccination: 

  • Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration. This vaccine injury happens when the needle is injected too high or too deep into the shoulder. As a result, the vaccine inflames the shoulder, causing shoulder injuries like bursitis, frozen shoulder syndrome, and rotator cuff tears.
  • Vasovagal Syncope. This condition occurs when you faint because your body overreacts to the vaccine. The fainting itself typically doesn’t cause lasting side effects; it is the complications that may happen after fainting that do.
  • Anaphylaxis. About one in a million patients who receive this vaccination are at risk of a severe allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis. Symptoms of an allergic reaction usually happen within hours of immunization and may include swelling of the tongue or throat, rashes, seizures, fainting, or trouble breathing. If left untreated, the allergic reaction can cause permanent side effects.

If your injury isn’t listed above, don’t worry. You may still be eligible for compensation from the VICP. You and your attorney will have to prove that the Hep B vaccine caused your injury by using evidence in your medical records and hiring a medical expert.

Obtaining Compensation After a Hepatitis B Vaccine Injury

If you have suffered serious and long-lasting side effects from the Recombivax vaccine, you may be eligible for payment through the national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Since 1986, the Program has offered a way for vaccine injury victims to obtain compensation without suing their doctors or pharmaceutical companies.

Our vaccine injury lawyers at Shannon Law Group help victims from every state get adequate compensation for their medical bills, lost income, and unnecessary suffering due to vaccination.

It also doesn’t cost you a dime to hire an attorney to represent you in a vaccine injury claim. The federal government pays us directly for our attorney’s fees.

Time is limited to file a claim, so we urge you to contact us as soon as possible if you believe you have a vaccine injury case. To get started, call us at (312) 578-9501 or fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Our consultations are always free.

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