How Long Does The Hepatitis A And Hepatitis B Vaccine Last?

Posted on Wed, 19 Dec 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 Answered on

Tue, 8 Jan 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : hi,
have been worried about possible hepatitis exposure 30 days ago..

1. how long does vacine for hep a and b last?
2. just had a test done by a dr to measure my liver. she banged on my ribs and tried to measure it and said was normal size. she did not palpate it...dont you need to palpate? how hard is it to measure enlarged liver on physical exam? would ultrasound be better? is that conclusive?
3. they are doing hep a antibody, hep b and c pcr test..it is 30 days post exposure..will these tests be conclusive?

Answered by Dr. Dr.P.Ratnakar Kini (9 hours later)

Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.
I am Dr.Ratnakar Kini and I am pleased to answer your query.

1. If you complete the course of vaccination for Hep A and Hep B, the immunity will last life long.

2. Palpation and ultrasound scan would show whether the liver is enlarged. Ultrasound will show other features like if there is fatty deposition or any space occupying lesion.

3. Hep A antibody, Hep B Anti HB IgM and Hep C RNA will be positive in 30 days post exposure.

I hope that answers your question.
If there are no more questions, kindly accept this answer and rate this service.
Regards,
Dr.Ratnakar Kini

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar