Perinatal hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis

What it is

An infant born to a mother who is a hepatitis B virus carrier is protected at birth by giving both hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B is transmitted by exposure to the blood or body fluids of an infected person, and one of those routes is transmission by an infected mother to her infant during delivery. Vaccination decreases the incidence and prevalence of hepatitis B and results in fewer cases of HCC in endemic areas.

How it is treated

A chart that names U.S. brands sets out two schedules for infants under 1 year of age born to hepatitis B positive mothers. In both, the first dose is given within 24 hours of birth and is hepatitis B vaccine together with HBIG if HBIG is available.

1. A 3-dose vaccine series: dose 1 within 24 hours of birth, dose 2 at 1 month after dose 1, and dose 3 at 6 months after dose 1. The vaccine in that series is monovalent, which means it protects against hepatitis B only.
2. A 4-dose combination series: dose 1 within 24 hours of birth, then a combination vaccine, pentavalent or hexavalent, at 6 weeks, at 14 weeks and at 24 weeks of age.

Those are read against the schedule in force here, and the two are not the same. The Oman MOH National Childhood Immunization Schedule 2026 gives Hepatitis B at birth alongside BCG, then Hexavalent-1 at 2 months, Hexavalent-2 at 4 months, Pentavalent-1 at 6 months and Pentavalent-2 at 13 months - so the combination doses fall at 2, 4, 6 and 13 months and not at 6, 14 and 24 weeks. Where the two differ, the National Childhood Immunization Schedule 2026 is the one in force in Oman.