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Center for Immunization : maryland-perinatal-hepatitis-b-program

Maryland’s Perinatal Hepatitis B Program

Purpose of the Maryland Perinatal Hepatitis B Program

  • Ensure that all pregnant women are screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during every pregnancy
  • Ensure that infants of HBsAg positive mothers are given the hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis immune globulin HBIG at birth, preferably within 12 hours of birth.
  • Ensure that these babies receive two additional doses of hepatitis B vaccine at one month of age and six months of age, and a post-vaccination blood test
  • Remind mothers and doctors that these infants of mothers who are hepatitis B infected must have a post-vaccination blood test at 9 –15 months of age to ensure that the infant does have immunity to hepatitis B infection from receiving the three doses of vaccine.
  • Inform all household and sexual contacts of the hepatitis B infected woman that they should be blood tested for hepatitis B virus, and, if needed, receive three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.

DHMH Plan for Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention (PDF)

What is Perinatal Hepatitis B?

Every Newborn Should Get Hepatitis B Vaccine Before Going Home

What To Do If You Are Exposed to Hepatitis B Infection

People who have hepatitis B virus in their blood can spread the infection to other people through blood and other body fluids. If you are the sex and/or household contact of a pregnant woman who is HBsAg-positive, contact your health care practitioner or local health jurisdiction for testing. If you do not have immunity to hepatitis B infection, either from having had three doses of vaccine or from having fully recovered from hepatitis B infection, you should receive three doses of hepatitis B vaccine now.