What the Hepatitis B vaccine protects against
A virus that infects the liver. Caught in infancy it usually becomes a lifelong (chronic) infection that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer decades later.
Also known as: HepB
Why children are given it
Babies born to infected mothers have a very high chance of chronic infection unless vaccinated at birth. Many countries now vaccinate all infants because chronic hepatitis B is hard to treat and easy to prevent.
From each country's official schedule, checked against its sources (last full check 2026-09-16). Tap a country for its whole schedule and a personalised timeline.
| Country | Routine doses |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 8 weeks (1st of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 12 weeks (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 16 weeks (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster))
6-in-1 vaccine (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) Also offered: Hepatitis B vaccine (at-risk babies) - At birth and 4 weeks, in addition to the 6-in-1 doses, with a blood test at 1 year. Babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive. |
| 🇺🇸 United States | Birth (1st of 3) Hepatitis B (HepB) 1 to 2 months (2nd of 3) Hepatitis B (HepB) 6 months (3rd doses, 6-18 mo)
Hib / IPV / HepB (3rd doses) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 2 months (1st) Hepatitis B (in some provinces) Grade 6 (around 11-12 years) (2-dose series)
Hepatitis B (if not given in infancy) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Birth (Birth dose) Hepatitis B 2 months (from 6 weeks) (1st of 3) Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) 4 months (2nd of 3) Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) 6 months (3rd of 3)
Hexavalent (DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib) |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | Birth (Birth dose) Hepatitis B (birth dose) 6 weeks (1st of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 10 weeks (2nd of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 14 weeks (3rd of 4) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster))
Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster |
| 🇮🇳 India | Birth (Birth dose) Hepatitis B (birth dose) 6 weeks (1st of 3) Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) 10 weeks (2nd of 3) Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) 14 weeks (3rd of 3)
Pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | First 24 hours (1st of 3) Hepatitis B 1 month (2nd of 3) Hepatitis B 2 months (Risk groups) Hepatitis B (3rd, risk groups) 6 months (3rd of 3)
Hepatitis B |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 2 months (1st of 2 (+1)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 3 months (premature babies only) (Extra dose) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 2 (+1)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 11 months (3rd (booster))
Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster Also offered: Hepatitis B catch-up - Any age up to 18. Recommended for older children and teenagers who missed the infant hepatitis B doses. |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 2 months (1st of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 4 months (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 6 months (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) 13 months (4th of 4 (booster))
6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 6 weeks (1st of 3) Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) 3 months (2nd of 3) Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) 5 months (3rd of 3)
Infanrix hexa (DTaP-IPV-HepB/Hib) |
| 🇫🇷 France | 2 months (1st of 2 (+ booster)) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 2) Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 11 months (Booster (3rd))
Hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 6 to 9 weeks (1st of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 3 months (2nd of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 5 months (3rd of 4) DKTP-Hib-HepB (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 12 months (4th of 4 (booster))
DKTP-Hib-HepB booster Also offered: Hepatitis B for at-risk babies - At birth plus the schedule doses. Babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers get an extra birth dose and immunoglobulin. |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Birth (Birth dose) Hepatitis B 2 months (1st of 3) Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) 4 months (2nd of 3) Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) 6 months (3rd of 3)
Penta (DTP-HepB-Hib) |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | Birth (1st of 3) Hepatitis B 2 months (from 6 weeks) (1st of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 4 months (2nd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 6 months (3rd of 4) 6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) 18 months (4th of 4 (booster))
6-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) booster Also offered: Hepatitis B for babies of carrier mothers - Birth plus schedule doses. Additional hepatitis B immunoglobulin and close follow-up testing for babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers. |
Good to know
- Hepatitis B caught in infancy usually becomes a lifelong infection that can lead to liver damage and cancer decades later.
- Some countries give every baby a dose at birth; others give a birth dose only to babies whose mothers carry the virus, and start everyone else in the first months with the 6-in-1.
- Three doses give long-lasting protection for most children.
Side effects: what is normal
- Soreness or redness where the injection was given.
- A mild fever for a day or two. Serious reactions are very rare.
Most side effects are mild and pass within a day or two. Get medical advice straight away if your child has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or mouth, a fit, a temperature of 38°C or more in a baby under 3 months, or you are worried in any way. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Your doctor, nurse, health visitor or pharmacist can advise on your own child.
It depends on the country. Across the 14 countries that include it on their routine schedule, the first dose is given from Birth to 8 weeks. In the UK it is given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 18 months. In the US it is given at Birth, 1 to 2 months, 6 months. The table on this page shows every country.
Routine schedules give 2 to 5 doses in childhood, depending on the country and the product used. Combination vaccines can mean one injection counts towards several diseases.
Yes - all 14 countries on this site include it on their routine childhood schedule, although the ages and number of doses differ.
Yes. Vaccines on the childhood schedule are given by age, not by sex - girls and boys receive the same doses at the same ages.
It is almost never too late to catch up, and a missed dose rarely means starting again - your doctor or nurse will continue from where your child left off. A few vaccines (such as rotavirus) have upper age limits. Contact your clinic to book a catch-up appointment.
- United Kingdom - NHS / UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- United States - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / ACIP
- Canada - Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) / National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)
- Australia - Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care - National Immunisation Program (NIP)
- South Africa - National Department of Health - Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI-SA)
- India - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
- Russia - Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation - National Preventive Vaccination Calendar
- Germany - Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute / ECDC
- Ireland - Health Service Executive (HSE) / National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC)
- New Zealand - Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora / Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
- France - Ministere de la Sante / Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) - calendrier vaccinal
- Netherlands - RIVM - National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Rijksvaccinatieprogramma)
- Brazil - Ministerio da Saude - Programa Nacional de Imunizacoes (PNI)
- Singapore - Ministry of Health (MOH) / Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) - National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (NCIS)
- NHS - Hepatitis B vaccine (side effects and more)
- NHS - NHS vaccinations and when to have them
- CDC - Possible side effects from vaccines
- WHO - Vaccines and immunization
How we research and check this information: our editorial policy.
More vaccine guides
MMR vaccine · Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine · 6-in-1 vaccine · Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine · Polio vaccine · Hib vaccine · Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) · Rotavirus vaccine · MenB vaccine · MenACWY and MenC vaccines · HPV vaccine · Children's flu vaccine · BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine · Hepatitis A vaccine · RSV protection for babies
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