Hepatitis B is a liver infection that’s spread through blood and body fluids. The chance of getting it in the UK is low.
It often doesn’t cause any symptoms in adults and usually passes in a few months without treatment. In children it often persists for years and may eventually cause serious liver damage.
A hepatitis B vaccine is available on the NHS as part of routine child vaccination, or if you’re at high risk.
Many people with hepatitis B won’t have any symptoms.
If you do develop symptoms, they tend to occur 2 or 3 months after exposure to the hepatitis B virus.
Symptoms of hepatitis B include:
A blood test can check if you have hepatitis B or have had it in the past. The hepatitis B vaccine may also be recommended to reduce your risk of infection.
Treatment for hepatitis B depends on how long you’ve been infected for.
If you’ve been exposed to the virus in the last few days, emergency treatment can help stop you becoming infected.
Acute hepatitis B means you’ve only had the infection for a few weeks or months. You may only need treatment to relieve your symptoms while your body fights off the infection itself.
Chronic hepatitis B means you’ve had the infection for more than 6 months. You may be offered medicines that can keep the virus under control and reduce the risk of liver damage.
Chronic hepatitis B often requires:
The hepatitis B virus is found in the blood, semen and vaginal fluids and bodily fluids of an infected person.
It can be spread by:
Hepatitis B is not spread by kissing, holding hands, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or sharing crockery and utensils.
A vaccine that offers protection against hepatitis B is available for all babies born in the UK on or after 1 August 2017. It’s also available for people at high risk of the infection or complications from it.
People at high risk of hepatitis B include:
NHS Scotland is making the blood supply safer by introducing enhanced hepatitis B screening. This is an additional measure to improve testing for blood donors and further increase the safety of the blood supply chain.
NHS Scotland has been conducting this enhanced screening on all donations since April 2022. Only a small number of donors are impacted, however, these donors will no longer be able to donate.
As well as medical treatments, there are some things you can do when you have hepatitis B to help ease the symptoms and stop the infection spreading to others.
Your close contacts, such as family members, may need to be vaccinated.
Most people do not have any lasting problems after having a hepatitis B infection.
In some patients chronic hepatitis B can cause liver damage (cirrhosis) and increase your risk of getting liver cancer.
It is important that all patients with chronic hepatitis B are followed up in specialist clinics. If required, treatment can control hepatitis B infection, preventing serious complications.
Last updated:
28 March 2024