Heplisav-B (HepB-CpG) is a prescription vaccine used to help prevent infection from the hepatitis B virus. Heplisav-B is given as an injection into your muscle by a healthcare professional.
Heplisav-B contains the active ingredient HepB-CpG. It’s a biologic vaccine made using modified yeast cells that produce a protein from the hepatitis B virus.
It’s available only as a brand-name vaccine. It isn’t available in a biosimilar form. (Biosimilars are like generics for biologic drugs.)
Heplisav-B is used in adults to help prevent infection from the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects your liver and spreads through contact with bodily fluids. It may cause symptoms such as loss of appetite, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of your eyes and skin).
Heplisav-B works by teaching your immune system to recognize and fight HBV. This helps your body target and kill the virus if you’re exposed to it after you receive the vaccine.
If you have questions about receiving Heplisav-B, talk with your doctor.
Like many vaccines, Heplisav-B may cause mild to serious side effects. The lists below contain some of the more common side effects Heplisav-B may cause, but they don’t include all possible side effects.
Keep in mind that side effects of a vaccine can depend on:
- your age
- other health conditions you have
- other medications you take
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Heplisav-B. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.
Mild side effects
Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Heplisav-B can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist or read Heplisav-B’s prescribing information.
Mild side effects of Heplisav-B that have been reported include:
- fatigue (low energy)
- fever
- headache
- injection site reactions, such as pain, swelling, or changes in skin color
- muscle pain
Mild side effects of many vaccines may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Heplisav-B can occur. But they weren’t commonly reported in the vaccine’s studies.
If you have serious side effects from Heplisav-B, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.
Note: If you would like to report a side effect you’ve had with Heplisav-B, you can do so through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) website or by calling 800-822-7967. Sharing your experience helps make medications safer for everyone by giving doctors and researchers more information about how the drug works in real life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receive reports made to VAERS.
ALLERGIC REACTIONFor some people, Heplisav-B can cause an allergic reaction. But it’s not clear whether this side effect occurred in the vaccine’s studies.
In general, symptoms of allergic reaction can be mild or serious.
What might help
If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should receive another dose of Heplisav-B.
If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.
If your doctor confirms that you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Heplisav-B, they may recommend a different hepatitis B vaccine instead.
Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Heplisav-B that’s right for you. Below is the commonly used dosing schedule for adults, but your doctor will determine the dosage you’ll receive.
Form and strength
Heplisav-B comes as a 0.5-milliliter (mL) liquid solution in a single-use syringe. It’s given as an injection into your muscle by a healthcare professional.
Recommended dosage
You’ll receive the Heplisav-B vaccine on a two-dose schedule to help prevent infection from the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The second dose is given 1 month after the first dose.
How Heplisav-B is given
Your doctor or other healthcare professional will explain how Heplisav-B will be given to you. They’ll also explain how much you’ll be given and how often.
Heplisav-B is available as a liquid solution that’s injected into the muscle of your upper arm. You’ll receive these injections at a doctor’s office, clinic, or pharmacy.
To learn more about how you’ll receive Heplisav-B, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Questions about receiving Heplisav-B
Below are some common questions about receiving Heplisav-B.
- What if I miss a dose of Heplisav-B? If you miss an appointment to receive an injection of Heplisav-B, call your doctor’s office or pharmacy to reschedule. It’s important to receive both doses of the vaccine to get the most protection against HBV.
- Will I need to use Heplisav-B long term? Heplisav-B is not used as a long-term treatment. The vaccine is given as two separate doses, typically 1 month apart.
- How long does Heplisav-B take to work? Heplisav-B starts building protection against HBV after the first dose. However, full protection develops a few weeks after the second dose. Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more details.
Below is important information you should consider before receiving Heplisav-B.
Interactions
Receiving a vaccine while taking certain medications, other vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the vaccine works. These effects are called interactions.
Heplisav-B can interact with several other medications, but it is not known to interact with any supplements or foods.
Before receiving Heplisav-B, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also, tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you take. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Drug interactions
Below is a list of medications that may interact with Heplisav-B. This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with Heplisav-B. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples |
|---|---|
| immunosuppressants | • azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) • cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, others) |
Heplisav-B and alcohol
Alcohol is not known to interact with Heplisav-B. Talk with your doctor to determine whether it’s safe for you to consume alcohol after receiving the Heplisav-B vaccine.
Other interactions
Heplisav-B can affect the results of the hepatitis B titer test. This is a blood test that checks for the hepatitis B virus. Doctors typically wait at least 28 days after giving the Heplisav-B vaccine before they consider the titer test results reliable.
A healthcare professional can tell you whether it’s safe to receive other vaccines during the same visit as Heplisav-B.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
It’s not known whether it’s safe to receive Heplisav-B during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning for either, talk with your doctor before receiving the Heplisav-B vaccine.
Warnings
Heplisav-B can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Heplisav-B is a good treatment option for you.
Talk with your doctor about your health history before you receive Heplisav-B. Be sure to tell them if any of the following factors apply to you:
- weakened immune system
- hepatitis B infection at the time of vaccination
- previous allergic reaction to Heplisav-B, another hepatitis B vaccine, or yeast
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Heplisav-B. What you’ll pay for Heplisav-B may depend on several factors, such as the facility where you receive the vaccine.
You can visit Optum Perks to get price estimates of what you’d pay for Heplisav-B when using coupons from the site. See the coupon options below. (Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.)
Learn more about saving on your prescriptions.
Other hepatitis B vaccines are available. Examples include Engerix-B and Recombivax HB. They’re typically given in three doses, while Heplisav-B is given on a two-dose schedule.
If you’d like to explore an alternative to Heplisav-B, talk with your doctor. They can tell you whether Heplisav-B is interchangeable with other hepatitis B vaccines.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.