Final answer:
An infant born to a hepatitis B positive mother should be vaccinated at birth, receiving both the hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) to prevent chronic infection. Subsequent vaccination should follow the standard schedule with a second dose by 18 months of age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The infant of a hepatitis B positive mother should be vaccinated at birth.
This initial vaccination is crucial as it forms part of the standard vaccination schedule that aims to protect infants from Hepatitis B, a severe liver disease.
According to health recommendations, the hepatitis B vaccine is given as one dose at birth and is followed by another by the age of 18 months.
The risk of chronic infection and subsequent complications like cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer is especially high in infants, with approximately 90% of those infected at birth becoming chronic carriers.
For infants born to hepatitis B positive mothers, additional post-exposure prophylaxis is necessary.
This includes the administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) along with the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
The timely delivery of these interventions is critical in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis B infection in these infants.
Health-care workers are advised to take precautions to avoid HBV infection, and in cases where exposure to the virus occurs, post-exposure protocols involving HBIG and vaccination are implemented.
It is important to prevent infection because the virus can remain infective on surfaces for up to seven days, according to CDC guidelines.