Hepatitis B vaccination in travelers

Abstract

An increasing number of travelers travel to hepatitis B-endemic countries. In travel medicine, vaccinations should be advised according to risks. The actual incidence of hepatitis B infection in short-term tourists is very low and probably not higher than it is for people who do not travel. There is evidence that long-term travelers and immigrants originating from hepatitis B-endemic countries are at higher risk of infection and they should always be offered vaccination. For all other travelers living in countries with universal hepatitis B vaccination, vaccination could be advised as a catch-up strategy.

Keywords::

• hepatitis B
• travel
• vaccine

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank JAR van den Hoek for their critical review of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.