What is this medication for?
This vaccine prevents infection by hepatitis A and
hepatitis B by allowing your body to produce its own protection (antibodies)
against the disease. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are major causes of
serious liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and primary
hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).
This vaccine is recommended for persons of ages 18 years and
older, especially those at increased risk of infection with hepatitis A and
hepatitis B virus. These include but are not restricted to:
- people
with chronic liver disease
- people
at risk through their work (e.g., health care personnel, laboratory workers
who handle live hepatitis A and B virus, police, medical personnel,
workers in contact with feces or sewage, day-care workers, dialysis unit
staff)
- residents
at drug and alcohol treatment centers
- people
at high risk due to sexual practices
- people
who frequently receive blood products
- military
personnel
- people
traveling to areas where hepatitis A and hepatitis B are endemic (e.g., Africa,
Caribbean, Central and South America, South and Southeast Asia)
- users
of illicit injectable drugs
- people
at increased risk for hepatitis who have close contact with people who
have hepatitis
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are taking this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do. It can be harmful for people to take this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor.
What form(s) does this medication come in?
Twinrix® is available as:
Some medications may have other generic brands available. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist about the safety of switching between brands of the same medication.
How should I use this medication?
A qualified health professional will inject the vaccine.
The dose of hepatitis A - hepatitis B vaccine is 1.0 mL injected into a muscle
and repeated 1 month and 6 months after the original injection.
Store this medication in the refrigerator and keep it out of
the reach of children. It must not freeze, or it will have to be discarded.
Many things can affect the dose of medication
that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other
medications. Other dosing schedules are sometimes used.
It is very important to keep doctor appointments so that
this medication may be used according to recommended schedules. If you miss a
scheduled dose, it may affect how well this vaccine works.
Who should NOT take this medication?
Hepatitis A - hepatitis B vaccine should not be used by
anyone who:
- is
allergic to any ingredient of the vaccine
- is
allergic to hepatitis A or hepatitis B vaccine
- is
allergic to neomycin
- is
allergic to yeast