Hepatitis B Vaccine (Required)

Hepatitis B Vaccine is required for all full-time students enrolled for the first time in any four year public institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Acute Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver which causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, and jaundice.  In some people the infection can become chronic and lead to liver damage, cancer, or death.

The infection (virus) is spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person.  The most common routes of transmission are unprotected sex, being stuck with a used needle or sharing needles to inject illegal drugs, and during child birth from an infected mother to her baby.

Hepatitis B vaccine is routinely given during infancy as a series of 3 shots.  (There is a 2 dose regimen of Recombivax specifically approved for adolescents age 11 - 15.)  We offer the Hepatitis B vaccine at cost for students.  If a student chooses not to receive this vaccine, a waver must be signed after reviewing he information on Hepatitis B disease at the web site http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/vis-hep-b.pdf.