Postexposure prophylaxis is the provision of medication to prevent disease in persons who are not protected against a particular disease by vaccination but have been exposed to it.
Indications (areas of application)
- Injuries with objects possibly containing HBV (e.g., needle stick) or blood contact with mucosa or non-intact skin.
- Newborns of HBsAg-positive mothers or of mothers with unknown HBsAg status (regardless of birth weight).
Implementation
- For injuries involving potentially contagious objects:
- Immediate vaccination and simultaneous administration of a hepatitis B immunoglobulin (= passive immunization; see table below).
- According to maternity guidelines, all pregnant women should have their serum tested for HBsAg after the 32nd week of pregnancy (SSW), as close to delivery as possible.
- Newborns of hepatitis B-positive mothers are given a dose of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (antibodies to hepatitis B virus) and the first dose of HB vaccine immediately after birth. The complete basic immunization is then carried out in the first year of life.
Procedure for postexposure hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis: see Figure 1 under “Epidemiologic Bulletin, August 22, 2019, page 344.”
Post-exposure hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis as a function of current anti-HBs levels.
| Current anti-HBs level | Requires the administration of | ||
| HB vaccine | HB Immunoglobulin | ||
| ≥ 100 IU/l | No | No | |
| 10-90 IU/l | Yes | No | |
| And anti-HBs was ≥100 IU/l or unknown. | Yes | Yes | |
