Hep B Vaccine Side Effects (Hepatitis B — Trial & Post-Licensure AE Data)
This page answers “hep b vaccine side effects” with sourced pharmacovigilance data — VAERS symptom categories with source methodology. Counts are database reports, not proven vaccine-caused injury rates.
How to read database counts: Pharmacovigilance systems (VAERS, EudraVigilance, Yellow Card, VigiBase, Lareb, DAEN) collect spontaneous, unverified reports. A report is not a confirmed adverse event and does not prove the vaccine caused the outcome. Under-reporting, stimulated reporting, and missing denominators limit rate interpretation. Compare with trials and epidemiological studies on each page before drawing conclusions.
Last updated: July 2026 · Status: Current U.S. licensed products reviewed
ⓘ Methodology Note
This page summarizes published pre-licensure clinical trial data, post-licensure surveillance findings, and peer-reviewed epidemiological studies for hepatitis B vaccines currently licensed in the United States (Engerix-B®, Recombivax HB®, Heplisav-B®, PreHevbrio®, and the combination vaccines Pediarix® and VAXELIS®). Safety and efficacy data are presented without interpretive language that implies the vaccine is "safe" or "unsafe." Each section notes the quality and strength of the underlying evidence. Data are drawn from FDA review documents, published clinical trials, Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) analyses, VAERS summaries, Institute of Medicine / National Academies consensus reports, and peer-reviewed literature. Where findings are inconsistent or limited, those limitations are explicitly stated.
1. Basic Information
Disease Protected Against
Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is transmitted through percutaneous or mucosal exposure to infected blood or body fluids. Modes of transmission include perinatal (mother-to-infant at birth), sexual contact, injection drug use, and household contact with an infected person. Hepatitis B can cause both acute and chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection occurs in ~90% of infants infected at birth, ~25–50% of children infected between ages 1–5, and ~5–10% of infected adults. Chronic infection can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death globally.
Monovalent HepB vaccine recommended for birth dose; combination vaccines (e.g., Pediarix, VAXELIS) may be used for subsequent doses
Catch-up (unvaccinated children <19 years)
3-dose series at 0, 1–2, and 4–6 months
Minimum intervals apply: 4 weeks between doses 1 & 2; 8 weeks between doses 2 & 3; at least 16 weeks between doses 1 & 3
Adults (standard)
3-dose series (Engerix-B or Recombivax HB): 0, 1, and 6 months
Alternative: Heplisav-B (2-dose series at 0 and 1 month) for adults ≥18 years
Adults on hemodialysis or immunocompromised
Higher-dose formulations or additional doses may be used
Post-vaccination serologic testing recommended to confirm immunity (anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL)
Infants of HBsAg-positive mothers
HepB vaccine + Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) within 12 hours of birth; complete 3-dose series
Post-vaccination serologic testing at 9–12 months of age
Source: CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2025 Child & Adolescent and Adult Immunization Schedules.
Licensed Products (U.S.)
Recombivax HB® (Merck & Co.) — Licensed 1986. Recombinant DNA vaccine produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) expressing the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). First recombinant vaccine licensed for human use.
Engerix-B® (GlaxoSmithKline) — Licensed 1989. Also a recombinant HBsAg vaccine produced in yeast. Highly similar to Recombivax HB in composition and immunogenicity profile.
Heplisav-B® (Dynavax Technologies) — Licensed November 2017 for adults ≥18 years. Recombinant HBsAg vaccine adjuvanted with CpG 1018, a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist. 2-dose schedule (0 and 1 month) vs. 3-dose for older products. Higher seroprotection rates compared to Engerix-B in clinical trials.
PreHevbrio® (VBI Vaccines) — Licensed November 2021 for adults ≥18 years. Contains all three HBV surface antigens (S, pre-S1, pre-S2) produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. 3-dose schedule at 0, 1, and 6 months.
Pediarix® (GSK) — DTaP-HepB-IPV combination vaccine for infants. Licensed 2002. Not used for the birth dose.
VAXELIS® (Merck / Sanofi) — DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB hexavalent combination vaccine for infants. Licensed 2018 in the U.S.
Documented Adverse Events (HRSA VICP)
The following adverse events are documented by the HRSA Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) as having a temporal relationship to this vaccine. These are not necessarily confirmed causal relationships, but rather conditions for which claims have been compensated or are presumed caused by the vaccine.
WHO Causality Assessment Methodology
The World Health Organization's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) uses a 4-level causality classification:
Consistent: Epidemiological studies demonstrate a statistically significant association with temporal specificity and biological plausibility. Replicated across independent populations and study designs.
Indeterminate: Evidence exists but is insufficient to confirm or rule out causality. May be limited by sample size, confounding, or inconsistency across studies.
Inconsistent: Studies have not demonstrated a consistent or convincing association. Evidence against causality outweighs evidence for it.
Unclassifiable: Insufficient data to reach any conclusion. Requires further evidence.
Source: WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), 2021–2025 causality review cycles. See also Institute of Medicine (IOM) Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality (2012) for pre-COVID vaccine assessments.
Condition
Time Window
Causality Level
HRSA Description
Anaphylaxis
0-1 days
Consistent
WHO Determination (2021, 2023): Consistent for all COVID-19 vaccines. Rate: ~2–5 per million doses. Temporal specificity (onset within minutes, consistent with IgE-mediated). Plausible biological mechanism: immediate hypersensitivity to vaccine excipients (PEG for mRNA, polysorbate for adenoviral). Verified via passive surveillance convergence across multiple national systems (VAERS, EudraVigilance, MHRA Yellow Card, TGA DAEN).
Biological Mechanism: Not thought to be spike protein mediated; likely polyethylene glycol (PEG) in mRNA vaccines triggers IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation Clinical Evidence: (Kuder et al., 2021); Mechanism: (Risma et al., 2021) Spike Protein Evidence: Not tested
Anaphylaxis occurring within 4 hours following vaccination
Syncope (Fainting)
0-1 days
Indeterminate
WHO / IOM Causality Assessment: Evidence reviewed; causal association cannot be confirmed or excluded at current evidence level. Requires further epidemiological and mechanistic investigation. See HRSA VICP Table for program-specific determination.
Biological Mechanism: Multiple plausible biological mechanisms under investigation. Brighton Collaboration AESI monitoring ongoing. Clinical Evidence: See HRSA VICP/CICP program documentation for current determination. Spike Protein Evidence: Evidence reviewed; consult Brighton Collaboration list for mechanistic assessment status.
Syncope occurring within a few minutes to 2 hours after vaccination
Important Notes
HRSA VICP: Conditions listed are documented by HRSA as having temporal relationship to vaccination. Compensation does not imply causation.
Temporal Association: These conditions occurred after vaccination within the specified time window, but other factors may have contributed.
Rarity: Most adverse events are extremely rare. Serious adverse events from vaccines occur in roughly 1-2 per million doses.
Biological Plausibility: Mechanistic evidence is under review and will be integrated in Q3 2026.
Benefit-Risk: This page documents documented injuries. See disease burden pages for context on prevented diseases.
Ingredients (Package Insert)
Structured composition for 3 branded products covered on this page,
taken from FDA-approved package inserts (DailyMed / manufacturer prescribing information).
Lists are per product — formulations differ by manufacturer and presentation.
Click an ingredient name to open its safety-context page when available.
Ingredient lists are sourced from official package inserts for the specific brands named above.
Formulations can change between lots and over time — verify against the current label before any clinical decision.
Presence of a substance does not by itself indicate harm; toxicology is dose-, route-, and context-dependent.
Browse the full ingredient database:
Vaccine Ingredients index.
Causality assessment & potential mechanisms
Conditions below combine WHO-style causality levels with potential biological mechanisms
from the site mechanism catalog
(ae_mechanisms_catalog.json).
HRSA VICP table listing (where shown) indicates a compensable temporal association under U.S. program rules —
not automatic proof of causation for every case. Mechanisms are hypothesis-level pathways with graded evidence.
Pre-existing or newly formed IgE against vaccine antigens or excipients (e.g., gelatin, egg proteins, PEG, polysorbate) triggers mast-cell and basophil degranulation with systemic mediator release.
SIRVA
0–2 days
Very likely / Probable
Evidence: High
SIRVA — incorrect injection into shoulder structures (primary · procedural)
Needle placement into the subdeltoid/subacromial bursa or joint rather than deltoid muscle causes prolonged local inflammation and restricted range of motion (procedural, not antigen-specific).
Vaccine- or infection-triggered immune responses cross-react with peripheral-nerve gangliosides or myelin components, producing demyelinating or axonal polyneuropathy.
Temporal association — mechanism unknown (alternative · unknown)
Reports show temporal clustering after vaccination but a specific pathogenic pathway is not established; alternative (coincidental) explanations remain plausible.
Framework: WHO causality + HRSA VICP (where applicable) + AE mechanism catalog.
Last updated: 2026-07-18.
Schema: schemas/vaccine_injury_table.schema.json
· Mechanisms: schemas/ae_mechanism.schema.json.
Not medical or legal advice.
2. Pre-Licensure Clinical Trial Data
Licensure trial design (ICAN / OpenVAERS)
The table below reproduces ICAN’s No Placebo Table rows for U.S. childhood-schedule products relevant to this page — including the control/comparator used in FDA licensing trials (not always saline placebo). OSMF presents this for transparency; it is not an endorsement of ICAN interpretations.
Vaccine
Brand
Manufacturer
Doses (schedule)
Ages injected
Control / comparator
Placebo
Safety review window
HepB
Recombivax HB
Merck
3
Birth 1M 6M
None
No
5 days
HepB
Engerix B
GSK
3
Birth 1M 6M
None
No
4 days
Source: OpenVAERS — No Placebo Table · ICAN original PDF
· Attribution: Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) via OpenVAERS
· Last fetched: 2026-07-16.
For many trials listing '6 months' safety review, ICAN notes review was typically ~30 days post-injection with a phone call at 6 months.
The original plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981; the recombinant vaccines (Recombivax HB and Engerix-B) replaced it in 1986 and 1989, respectively. Pre-licensure trials for the recombinant products enrolled several thousand participants cumulatively. The original Merck pivotal trial for Recombivax HB enrolled ~1,600 participants (including children and adults). Engerix-B trials were similarly sized and conducted internationally.
Metric
Data (Recombivax HB / Engerix-B)
Evidence Strength
Total participants (combined trials, each product)
~1,600–3,000 per product
LimitedModerate by era standards, small by modern standards
Duration of safety follow-up
5–7 days for solicited local/systemic reactions; SAEs monitored for up to 6 months in limited subsets
Limited
Seroprotection rate (anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL)
>95% after 3-dose series in healthy infants, children, and young adults
Strong
Seroprotection in adults >40 years
~85–90% after 3-dose series
Moderate
Heplisav-B® (Dynavax) — Pivotal Trials for U.S. Licensure (2017)
Heplisav-B was evaluated in three Phase 3 non-inferiority trials (HBV-16, HBV-17, HBV-18) that compared a 2-dose regimen (0 and 1 month) of Heplisav-B to a 3-dose regimen (0, 1, and 6 months) of Engerix-B. A total of ~10,036 participants received Heplisav-B and ~4,596 received Engerix-B across these trials.
Total Heplisav-B recipients in safety population: ~10,036 adults
Seroprotection rate (Heplisav-B): 90–95% (non-inferior and in some analyses superior to Engerix-B, particularly in older adults and those with diabetes)
Seroprotection rate (Engerix-B comparator): 70–90% across subgroups
Safety follow-up: Solicited adverse events collected for 7 days; unsolicited AEs for 4 weeks; SAEs, AESIs, and deaths monitored for 12 months
Note: The FDA initially issued a Complete Response Letter (2013, 2016) requesting additional safety data before approving Heplisav-B in 2017, primarily regarding a numerical imbalance in acute myocardial infarction (MI) events observed in the clinical trial database (see Section 4).
PreHevbrio® (VBI Vaccines) — Pivotal Trials for U.S. Licensure (2021)
PreHevbrio was evaluated in two Phase 3 trials (PROTECT and CONSTANT) that compared the 3-dose PreHevbrio regimen to a 3-dose regimen of Engerix-B. The combined safety population included ~3,700 participants who received PreHevbrio and ~1,300 who received Engerix-B.
Total PreHevbrio recipients in safety population: ~3,700 adults aged 18–45 (PROTECT) and 18–80+ (CONSTANT)
Seroprotection rate (PreHevbrio): ~91.4% vs. ~76.5% for Engerix-B (PROTECT study)
Safety follow-up: Solicited AEs for 7 days; unsolicited AEs for 28 days; SAEs monitored for 6 months after last dose
Most Common Adverse Reactions (Pre-Licensure Trials)
Reaction
Recombivax HB / Engerix-B (Approx.)
Heplisav-B (Approx.)
PreHevbrio (Approx.)
Injection site pain / tenderness
~13–29% (adults); ~3–9% (infants)
~23–39%
~33–46%
Injection site redness / swelling
~3–5%
~2–7%
~3–8%
Fatigue / malaise
~11–17%
~11–18%
~18–23%
Headache
~8–20%
~14–21%
~12–20%
Fever ≥ 37.8°C (100°F)
~1–6%
~1–3%
~1–3%
Myalgia
~3–12%
~6–13%
~11–17%
Irritability (infants)
~15–25%
N/A (adult product)
N/A (adult product)
Sources: Respective prescribing information / FDA review documents for Recombivax HB, Engerix-B, Heplisav-B, and PreHevbrio. Frequencies vary by trial design, age group, and dosage formulation.
Key Limitations of Pre-Licensure Trial Data
Sample size: While larger than some older vaccine trials (especially Heplisav-B at ~10,000 recipients), pre-licensure trials are still underpowered to detect very rare adverse events (e.g., those occurring at rates <1 per 10,000 doses).
Follow-up duration: Most trials had 6–12 months of formal safety follow-up, insufficient to assess long-term autoimmune or neurological outcomes with long latency periods.
Exclusion criteria: Trials excluded pregnant individuals, immunocompromised persons, and individuals with significant chronic medical conditions, limiting generalizability to these groups.
Era and design variability: The original recombinant vaccines (Recombivax HB, Engerix-B) were licensed using 1980s-era trial designs with less rigorous safety data collection standards than modern trials. Much of the safety evidence for these products derives from post-licensure studies.
Myocardial infarction signal with Heplisav-B: In pre-licensure trials, a numerical imbalance in acute MI events was observed (19 events in Heplisav-B recipients vs. 3 in Engerix-B recipients across pooled Phase 3 data; 6 vs. 1 in the largest trial, HBV-23). This was a key reason for the FDA's initial Complete Response Letters. No causal mechanism was identified, and post-hoc analyses did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference after adjusting for baseline cardiovascular risk factors. Post-licensure studies are ongoing to further evaluate this signal (see Section 4).
3. Post-Licensure Safety Data
Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD)
The VSD is a collaboration between the CDC and integrated healthcare organizations that monitor the electronic health records of approximately 9–10 million people annually (~3% of the U.S. population). HepB vaccines have been studied through VSD since the system's inception.
Design: Active surveillance using electronic health records; includes both self-controlled case series, historical cohort studies, and rapid cycle analyses.
Key VSD findings for hepatitis B vaccine:
Anaphylaxis: VSD data contributed to the estimated rate of ~1.1 per million doses (pooled across multiple vaccines in the Bohlke et al. 2003 study).
Multiple sclerosis: A large VSD nested case-control study (DeStefano et al., 2003) found no association between hepatitis B vaccination and MS (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.6–1.4). A separate VSD study of relapse risk in patients with existing MS found no increased risk temporally associated with vaccination.
Central nervous system demyelinating disorders: VSD studies have not found consistent associations between hepatitis B vaccine and CNS demyelinating diseases beyond background rates.
Autoimmune conditions broadly: Systematic VSD reviews have not identified statistically significant associations between hepatitis B vaccination and rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, or thyroiditis.
Neonatal / infant safety: VSD and other post-licensure studies have not identified unexpected safety signals in the newborn period following the birth dose.
Sources: DeStefano et al. (2003) Neurology; Bohlke et al. (2003) Pediatrics; VSD annual surveillance reports (CDC).
VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System)
VAERS is a passive (spontaneous) reporting system co-managed by the CDC and FDA. VAERS cannot establish causation. Reports may be submitted by anyone and reflect unverified temporal associations. Hepatitis B vaccine safety data in VAERS span >35 years of post-licensure experience, with billions of doses administered globally.
VAERS Metric (Hepatitis B, cumulative U.S. data)
Approximate Figures
Total U.S. doses distributed (estimated, all HepB products, 1982–2024)
>1 billion doses globally; >300 million in the U.S.
Total VAERS reports received for hepatitis B vaccine
~75,000–90,000 (cumulative)
Reports classified as "serious" (per CFR 600.80 criteria)
~7–9% of total HepB reports
Most commonly reported adverse events
Injection site reactions, fever, fatigue, headache, dizziness (consistent with clinical trial data)
Notable reporting pattern
A cluster of autoimmune-related reports (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS) was observed in the 1990s following a French mass vaccination campaign, prompting targeted epidemiological studies; subsequent studies did not confirm a causal relationship (see below).
⚠ Critical Caveat
VAERS data represent unverified reports of events temporally associated with vaccination. A report to VAERS does not mean the vaccine caused the event. VAERS is designed to generate hypotheses and detect potential safety signals; it cannot be used to calculate incidence rates or establish causality. The hepatitis B vaccine was the subject of a widely reported "cluster" of autoimmune disease reports in VAERS during the 1990s, which generated the hypothesis that the vaccine could trigger autoimmune conditions. Subsequent controlled epidemiological studies did not confirm this hypothesis (see Major Reviews below).
Major Independent Post-Licensure Reviews
Review / Institution
Year(s)
Design & Scope
Key Finding
Institute of Medicine (IOM) — "Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality"
2012
Systematic review of >12,000 peer-reviewed articles; evaluated epidemiological and mechanistic evidence for 158 adverse event–vaccine pairs, including hepatitis B vaccine
Favors acceptance of a causal relationship for anaphylaxis (in yeast-sensitive individuals). Rejects causal association for MS, autoimmune diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, type 1 diabetes), GBS, and CNS demyelinating disorders. Evidence inadequate for several other outcomes.
IOM — "Hepatitis B Vaccine and Demyelinating Neurological Disorders"
2002
Focused review following the French mass vaccination campaign and subsequent autoimmune disease concern
Evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between hepatitis B vaccine administered to adults and incident MS or MS relapse.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) — "Vaccine Safety"
2020
Review of safety data for the recommended childhood immunization schedule
No evidence that the recommended childhood vaccination schedule, including the hepatitis B birth dose, is associated with adverse health outcomes.
WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS)
Multiple (2002–2020)
Ongoing review of global safety data from multiple surveillance systems
No evidence of a causal association between hepatitis B vaccination and MS, autoimmune diseases, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Anaphylaxis is a rare adverse event.
The French Hepatitis B Vaccination Program and Subsequent Investigation
In the mid-1990s, France undertook a mass hepatitis B vaccination campaign targeting adults and adolescents (~20 million people vaccinated). Beginning in 1996, case reports of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other CNS demyelinating events temporally associated with hepatitis B vaccination were reported. This led to the suspension of the school-based vaccination program in 1998 (though infant vaccination continued). The signal prompted multiple large-scale epidemiological investigations:
Conseil & Kerbrat (1998–2001): Multiple case-control and cohort studies in France, including a study of >15,000 MS cases, did not find a statistically significant association between hepatitis B vaccination and MS.
Ascherio et al. (2001, New England Journal of Medicine): Nested case-control study using the Nurses' Health Study (n=121,700 women, 192 MS cases). Found no association between hepatitis B vaccination and risk of MS (RR 0.9; 95% CI 0.4–2.0).
Confavreux et al. (2001, New England Journal of Medicine): European multi-center study of 643 MS patients. Hepatitis B vaccination did not increase the short-term risk of MS relapse (RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.40–1.26).
DeStefano et al. (2003): VSD nested case-control study (440 MS cases). No association (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.6–1.4).
The preponderance of evidence from multiple independent, well-designed studies did not confirm the hypothesis generated by case reports and VAERS reports. This episode is an illustrative example of the distinction between a safety signal (hypothesis-generating) and a confirmed causal association (requiring analytical epidemiological evidence). This is noted here because the French experience remains a reference point in discussions of hepatitis B vaccine safety.
Confirmed Safety Signals Identified in Post-Licensure Data
Anaphylaxis: Confirmed causal association; estimated rate ~1.1 per million doses. Primarily in individuals with severe yeast sensitivity (the recombinant vaccines contain residual yeast protein).
Heplisav-B and acute myocardial infarction: Pre-licensure safety signal (numerical imbalance). Post-licensure observational study by Klein et al. (2022, VSD) comparing Heplisav-B to Engerix-B among >38,000 adults found no statistically significant increased risk of acute MI following Heplisav-B compared to Engerix-B (adjusted HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.73–1.27). Active surveillance continues.
Note: Safety "signals" identified through post-licensure surveillance require further analytical epidemiological studies to confirm or refute causality. Signals may later be determined to be coincidental.
VAERS Reporting Data — Halma & Varon (2025), DARE-SAFE
The DARE-SAFE paper (Halma & Varon, Pharmacoepidemiology 2025, CC BY 4.0) analyzed VAERS reports for vaccines administered in the United States from 2006–2022. The following data are extracted from Table 1 of that paper for this vaccine (Hepatitis B (all HepB products combined)):
Metric
Value
U.S. doses administered (2006–2022)
248,816,802
Total VAERS AE reports
19,737
AE reporting rate (per 100,000 doses)
7.93
Total death reports
222
Death reporting rate (per 100,000 doses)
0.0892
AE-to-Death ratio
89:1
Source: Halma, M.; Varon, J. DARE-SAFE. Pharmacoepidemiology. 2025. DOI: 10.3390/pharma4020007. CC BY 4.0. Data from Table 1.
📚 Important Interpretive Caveats (from the paper itself)
Reporting rate ≠ incidence rate. VAERS is a passive, unverified system. A report means someone submitted a claim of temporal association, not a confirmed causal event. The paper is explicit that causality cannot be inferred from these numbers alone.
Reporting behavior is not uniform. More serious, unusual, or media-salient events are reported at much higher rates than mild ones. Products receiving more public, media, legal, and clinical attention (particularly COVID-19 vaccines, which also benefited from V-safe active-surveillance prompts and CICP compensation pathways) generate more reports per dose regardless of true risk.
Age and comorbidity confounding is not adjusted. COVID-19 vaccines were disproportionately administered to elderly and comorbid populations (nursing homes, 65+, high-risk groups in early 2021) with much higher background all-cause mortality than the general child/working-age population. Some fraction of temporally-associated deaths would occur regardless of vaccination, and the paper does not perform a background-rate comparison.
Stimulated reporting is a known, documented phenomenon. Media coverage, plaintiff attorney solicitation, and advocacy campaigns — all independently inflate VAERS reporting propensity. The paper cites this literature but does not correct for it.
Small-denominator rows are unreliable. Rates computed from small denominators (e.g., monovalent measles, DT, mumps, rubella) have enormous statistical uncertainty and should not be compared to vaccines with hundreds of millions of administered doses without noting the wide confidence intervals.
Source: Halma, M.; Varon, J. DARE-SAFE: Denominator-Adjusted Rate Estimates of Substance Adverse Events Frequency Evaluation in Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines. Pharmacoepidemiology. 2025, 4, 7. DOI: 10.3390/pharma4020007. CC BY 4.0.
Passive Surveillance: AE Type Breakdown (Multi-System)
Side-by-side view of U.S. VAERS, Health Canada Canada Vigilance, Japan JADER (PMDA), EU EudraVigilance, and live-scraped international systems via SurVigilance (VigiAccess, Lareb, DAEN, DMA, Medsafe). SurVigilance panels show MedDRA PT mention totals (not individual-case counts). Category assignment uses keyword matching — approximate, not official SOC coding. VAERS ZIP CAPTCHA downloads use this site’s vaers_pipeline.py; FAERS is bulk quarterly ZIP via SurVigilance (not product search).
VAERS (United States)
Canada Vigilance (Canada)
JADER (PMDA, Japan)
EudraVigilance (EU)
16,807 individual cases · adrreports.eu DAP export (up to 28/06/2026)
Reaction SOC breakdown not included in this workbook export.
Denmark DMA interactive ADR search is currently offline (Danish Medicines Agency IT transition; public overviews frozen at 12 Mar 2024). Live product PT tables cannot be retrieved until DKMA restores the search. See DKMA notice. Denmark continues to report into EU EudraVigilance (panel above).
Medsafe (New Zealand)
VAERS (U.S., 2006–2024): 6,085 symptom mentions (2.45/100k doses). Largest share: Other / Unclassified (26%), Injection-site / Local reaction (13%), Neurological (12%). Canada Vigilance (CV Online extract): 658 reaction mentions in 189 unique reports (45.0% serious (85 of 189 reports)). Largest share: Neurological (16%), General / Systemic (non-local) (14%), Allergic / Anaphylactic (9%). JADER (PMDA public CSV extract): 292 reaction mentions in 175 unique reports (4.0% serious (7 of 175 reports)). Largest share: Other / Unclassified (19%), General / Systemic (non-local) (19%), Neurological (16%). EudraVigilance (EU DAP export): 16,807 individual cases (up to 28/06/2026). Reaction SOC categories were not exported in the local DAP workbooks — case count only. VigiAccess (WHO): 1,981 reaction-term mentions · search: hepatitis B. Largest share: Other / Unclassified (30%), Dermatological (non-injection-site) (11%), Neurological (10%). Lareb (Netherlands): 1,720 reaction-term mentions · search: Hepatitis B vaccine. Largest share: General / Systemic (non-local) (22%), Neurological (16%), Other / Unclassified (13%). DAEN (Australia): 30,675 reaction-term mentions · search: hepatitis B. Largest share: Other / Unclassified (19%), Gastrointestinal (13%), General / Systemic (non-local) (13%). Medsafe (New Zealand): 1,450 reaction-term mentions · search: hepatitis B. Largest share: Gastrointestinal (40%), Psychiatric / Neuropsychiatric (31%), Other / Unclassified (9%). Cross-database note: All systems are passive and unverified; reporting rates are not directly comparable across countries (different populations, reporting incentives, and lack of dose denominators for Canada/Japan/EU). top VAERS: Other / Unclassified; top Canada Vigilance: Neurological; top JADER: Other / Unclassified. SurVigilance note: VigiAccess, Lareb, DAEN, DMA, and Medsafe counts are live-scraped MedDRA PT mention totals (not deduplicated individual cases). Data via SurVigilance (GPL-3.0; pip install SurVigilance). Category assignment uses keyword matching on reported reaction terms — approximate and exploratory. Neither database establishes causality.
Pharmacovigilance Lot Signal Detection — Hypothesis-Generating Only
Multi-system context below. VAERS (U.S.) supports lot-level volume z-scores and seriousness flags by product and lot (2006–2024). Each lot links to a summary with report count, seriousness %, adverse-event pie chart, U.S. state map, and timeline. A signal flag means a statistical threshold was exceeded — not that a lot is unsafe. Full dashboard →
VAERS flags:VOL high report volume (z ≥ 3) ·
BURST clustered in <90 days ·
SER serious reports >50%.
Lot numbers are voluntary/incomplete in VAERS. Location data is U.S. state only (no postal codes in the public extract).
VAERS (United States) — all lots by product
1,210 reports with usable lot across 109 lots · 9 flagged
Loading lot tables…
Other Pharmacovigilance Systems
Lot-level analysis is only possible where reporters supply batch/lot numbers in the public extract. Canada Vigilance, JADER (PMDA, Japan), and most other national systems publish product-level spontaneous reports without lot fields.
Canada Vigilance (Health Canada)
189 unique reports · 658 reaction mentions · 45.0% serious (85 of 189 reports). Top categories: Neurological (16%), General / Systemic (non-local) (14%), Allergic / Anaphylactic (9%).
Canada Vigilance spontaneous reports are unverified temporal associations. The public CV Online data extract does not include lot or batch numbers, so lot-level signal detection is not possible for this system — only product-level reaction patterns are shown here. No Canadian dose denominators are available. Extract 2026-03-31.
175 unique reports · 292 reaction mentions · 4.0% serious (7 of 175 reports). Top categories: Other / Unclassified (19%), General / Systemic (non-local) (19%), Neurological (16%).
JADER (Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database) spontaneous reports are unverified temporal associations; PMDA has not assessed causality per case. The public CSV extract does not include lot or batch numbers, so lot-level signal detection is not possible — only product-level reaction patterns are shown here. Reaction terms in source data use MedDRA/J Preferred Terms. JADER CSV extract pmdacasereport202606 (2026-06). JADER reference (PDF)
16,807 individual cases (up to 28/06/2026) · HEPATITIS B VACCINE (RDNA). Reaction SOC breakdown not included in this DAP export.
EudraVigilance spontaneous reports are unverified temporal associations. The local EudraVigilance DAP workbooks provide individual-case counts from adrreports.eu; exported Reaction SOC filters were not set, so reaction-category charts are unavailable from this extract. Lot/batch numbers are not in public line listings.
Active Pharmacovigilance (Defined-Population Surveillance)
Curated findings for Hepatitis B vaccines from active systems (not VAERS). Page inventory last reviewed: 2026-07-10.
ⓘ Active vs. passive — why this pane is separate
The VAERS / multi-system charts above are passive surveillance: spontaneous, unverified reports without a fixed denominator.
Active surveillance starts from a defined, enumerated population (EHR/claims or structured post-vaccination surveys), applies pre-specified statistical tests, and asks whether an outcome occurs
more often than expected in a risk window versus a comparison window or group.
These are not two flavors of the same evidence — active findings are the harder tier that can confirm, refute, or leave under investigation a signal first hinted in passive data.
Do not add VAERS report counts to active incidence rates.
○ No signal detected◐ Signal under investigation◑ Investigated — not confirmed● Signal confirmed (true association)– Not currently under active surveillance
CDC Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD)
Outcome: Serious outcomes including cardiovascular endpoints for adjuvanted adult products
Tier 2◑ Investigated — not confirmed
Classic yeast-derived HepB vaccines have extensive post-licensure experience. For Heplisav-B, a pre-licensure numerical imbalance in myocardial infarction prompted focused post-licensure active evaluation; a large VSD comparison with Engerix-B did not find a statistically significant increased acute MI risk (adjusted HR ≈0.96 in the cited study).
Population
Infants (classic recombinant products) and adults (including Heplisav-B cohorts)
Risk interval
Study-specific
Comparison
Active comparators (e.g., Engerix-B)
Evaluation period
Long-term for classic products; Heplisav-B post-2017
Method
Observational studies; product-specific post-licensure work (e.g., Heplisav-B)
Related passive AE category on this page: Cardiac / Cardiovascular (see multi-system charts above — not additive with active rates).
Update cadence: Tier 1: check AusVaxSafety monthly when public pages update. Tier 2/3: quarterly review around ACIP meetings and PubMed/MMWR; set lastReviewed per record.
Source tiers: Tier 1 = public near-real-time dashboards (e.g. AusVaxSafety);
Tier 2 = VSD / Sentinel / PRAC-type findings released via ACIP slides, MMWR, or papers (no public VSD raw dashboard);
Tier 3 = regulator label/safety communications.
Detecting a signal and later classifying it as not confirmed is normal system behavior — not an anomaly to hide or amplify.
4. Documented Adverse Events — Evidence of Association
Rank-aggregated VAERS signal detection (rankv)
The table below lists vaccine–event pairs that were detected as disproportionality signals by all four base methods used in rankv (GPS, PRR, ROR, BCPNN) on multi-decade VAERS data, then ordered by rank aggregation (Borda average rank; related to the Spearman/GA top-list approach in the rankv paper).
Data: ~30 years of public VAERS (rankv processed tables).
Origin: precisionFDA “Gaining New Insights by Detecting Adverse Event Anomalies” challenge solution.
Caveat: Disproportionality signals are statistical associations in spontaneous reports. They do not establish causality, incidence, or product defect. Many top pairs reflect administration/product-use coding rather than clinical injury.
▶ Adverse Events with Strong Evidence of Causal Association
Criteria: Consistent epidemiological data from multiple independent studies, supported by mechanistic plausibility, and reviewed by IOM / NASEM or equivalent authoritative body.
Anaphylaxis: Estimated at ~1.1 per million doses. Attributed to residual yeast proteins (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in recombinant vaccines. Standard contraindication for individuals with known severe allergic reaction to yeast or a prior dose. Onset typically within minutes to hours of vaccination. Strong
Injection site reactions (pain, erythema, swelling): Well-documented across all HepB vaccine products and age groups. Generally mild and self-limited (1–3 days). Higher rates reported with adjuvanted products (Heplisav-B, PreHevbrio) compared to non-adjuvanted (Engerix-B, Recombivax HB). Strong
Systemic reactions (fatigue, headache, myalgia, fever): Consistently reported in clinical trials and post-licensure surveillance. Generally mild-to-moderate and self-limited. Higher rates with adjuvanted formulations. Strong
▶ Adverse Events with Moderate or Preliminary Evidence
Criteria: Some epidemiological evidence consistent with a signal, but data are limited by sample size, inconsistent findings across studies, or insufficient mechanistic evidence.
Acute myocardial infarction (Heplisav-B specifically): Pre-licensure numerical imbalance (19 vs. 3 events in pooled trials; 6 vs. 1 in HBV-23). A large VSD post-licensure study (Klein et al., 2022; N >38,000) found no statistically significant association (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.73–1.27). The FDA required a post-marketing safety study, which is ongoing. Moderate (against association, with ongoing monitoring)
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS): Isolated case reports exist following hepatitis B vaccination. IOM (2012) concluded evidence is inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship. No consistent signal in large epidemiological studies. Limited
Vasculitis / polyarteritis nodosa: A small number of case reports have described vasculitis temporally associated with hepatitis B vaccination. Evidence is insufficient to determine causality. Limited
Chronic fatigue syndrome: Some case series have reported an association; controlled epidemiological studies have not demonstrated a significantly increased risk. IOM deemed evidence inadequate. Limited
▶ Published Evidence Does Not Support a Causal Association
Criteria: Multiple large, well-controlled epidemiological studies have consistently failed to find an association; IOM / NASEM has rejected a causal relationship; or the preponderance of high-quality evidence is against an association.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Extensively studied following the French signal. Evidence against a causal association is robust. Major studies include:
Ascherio et al. (2001, NEJM): Nurses' Health Study; N=121,700; RR 0.9 (95% CI 0.4–2.0)
Confavreux et al. (2001, NEJM): European multi-center; N=643 MS patients; RR of relapse 0.71 (95% CI 0.40–1.26)
DeStefano et al. (2003, Neurology): VSD case-control; N=440 MS cases; OR 0.9 (95% CI 0.6–1.4)
Hernán et al. (2004, Neurology): UK General Practice Research Database; N=163 MS cases; OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.5–6.3) — an outlier finding not replicated in subsequent larger studies and deemed inconsistent with the broader evidence base by IOM
IOM (2012) concluded evidence "favors rejection" of a causal relationship
No Association
CNS demyelinating disorders broadly (optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, ADEM): VSD and several European studies have not found consistent associations. IOM (2012) favored rejection of causality for CNS demyelinating diseases in adults. Evidence in children is more limited but does not suggest a signal. No Association
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A 2002 Swedish case-control study initially reported an association (OR 2.0), but multiple subsequent larger studies (including within VSD) failed to replicate. IOM (2012) favored rejection of causality. No Association
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Case reports exist but controlled epidemiological studies have not demonstrated an association. IOM deemed evidence inadequate to infer a causal relationship; no replicated signal in large studies. No Association
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Multiple cohort studies have not found an association between hepatitis B vaccination and type 1 diabetes incidence. IOM (2012) favored rejection of causality. No Association
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): The hepatitis B birth dose is administered within the first 24 hours of life, a period when SIDS risk in the neonatal period is inherently present. Multiple large studies and ecological analyses have not identified an association. WHO GACVS and IOM have concluded no causal association. No Association
Thyroiditis / Autoimmune thyroid disease: Studied in VSD and European databases; no consistent association identified. No Association
5. Disease Prevention Benefits
5a. Hepatitis B — Pre-Vaccine vs. Post-Vaccine Era (United States)
~8,000–12,000 estimated per year; disproportionately affecting foreign-born adults
Reported acute HBV cases (children <19 years)
~3,000–5,000 per year (1980s)
<50 reported cases per year; vaccine has virtually eliminated acute HBV in U.S. children
Prevalence of chronic HBV
~0.3–0.5% of U.S. population
~0.3% overall, but 0.03% in U.S.-born children aged 6–19 years vs. ~1.1% in foreign-born individuals
HBV-related HCC incidence
Increasing through the 1980s–1990s
Declining; age-adjusted incidence of HBV-related HCC decreased significantly in cohorts eligible for infant vaccination (Taiwan and Alaska data show ~70–75% reduction)
Perinatal transmission rate (with infant PEP)
Without PEP: ~70–90% from HBeAg+ mothers; ~10–30% from HBeAg- mothers
With birth dose + HBIG: ~0.5–1% from HBeAg+ mothers when administered within 12 hours of birth
Source: CDC MMWR surveillance summaries; CDC Pink Book (Hepatitis B chapter); McMahon et al. (Alaska longitudinal cohort); Chang et al. (Taiwan HCC data). Note: Estimated acute infections are ~5–6 times higher than reported cases due to asymptomatic infections and underreporting.
5b. Impact of Universal Infant Vaccination — U.S. and Global Data
U.S. Acute HBV in children: Following the 1991 ACIP recommendation for universal infant hepatitis B vaccination, acute HBV infection in children and adolescents declined by >95% between 1990 and 2015. Reported cases in persons aged <20 years fell from ~3.6 per 100,000 (1990) to <0.02 per 100,000 (2015).
Hepatocellular carcinoma: The hepatitis B vaccine was described by the WHO as the world's first "anti-cancer vaccine" because chronic HBV is the leading global cause of HCC. In Taiwan — the first country to implement universal infant vaccination (1984) — the incidence of HCC in children aged 6–14 years declined from 0.70 per 100,000 (1981–1986) to 0.57 (1986–1990) to 0.36 (1990–1994), representing a ~75% reduction in the vaccinated cohort (Chang et al., 1997, New England Journal of Medicine; updated in 2009).
Global coverage: WHO estimates that global hepatitis B birth dose coverage was ~45% in 2022 (up from <5% in 2000), and 3-dose coverage was ~84% in 2022. An estimated 254 million people were living with chronic HBV infection globally in 2022, down from ~296 million in 2015, largely attributable to vaccination scale-up.
Perinatal transmission: The combination of maternal HBsAg screening (U.S. recommended since 1988), HBIG, and birth-dose vaccination has reduced the rate of perinatal transmission in the U.S. from ~20–30% (no intervention) to <1% (with appropriate prophylaxis).
Sources: CDC Pink Book; Chang MH et al. N Engl J Med (1997, 2009); WHO Hepatitis B fact sheet (2024).
Current Disease Burden & Outbreak Context
Acute hepatitis B (U.S.): Approximately 14,000–22,000 estimated acute infections occur annually, primarily in unvaccinated adults with risk factors (injection drug use, multiple sexual partners, men who have sex with men). Reported acute cases have remained relatively flat since 2010 after a long-term decline, and may be increasing slightly in some states affected by the opioid crisis (injection drug use is a major risk factor).
Chronic hepatitis B (U.S.): An estimated 580,000–2.4 million persons in the U.S. have chronic HBV infection, depending on the estimation method. The wide range reflects uncertainty due to underdiagnosis and inclusion or exclusion of foreign-born populations. Only an estimated ~30–33% of persons with chronic HBV in the U.S. are aware of their infection.
Health disparities: The prevalence of chronic HBV is substantially higher among foreign-born persons from endemic regions (Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Pacific Islands) and among persons who inject drugs. U.S. vaccination policy focuses on catch-up vaccination in these populations as well as universal infant vaccination.
Global burden: HBV is among the top 10 causes of death globally. In 2022, an estimated 1.1 million persons died from HBV-related causes, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, despite the availability of a highly effective vaccine.
Disease Burden Over Time
Reported U.S. disease burden by year. The dashed vertical line marks vaccine introduction. Hover or tap data points for values; use arrow keys when a chart has focus.
ⓘ About these charts: These are accessible SVG line charts with keyboard navigation, hover tooltips, and an underlying data table (expand below). The dashed vertical line marks the year of vaccine introduction. Reported cases undercount true incidence; case definitions, reporting practices, and diagnostic methods have changed over time. See Section 5 for additional context and pre-vs-post era comparisons.
7. International Surveillance & Global Data
Quick links to public pharmacovigilance databases and trial registries relevant to Hepatitis B Vaccine. Reporting counts do not establish causality.
Note: Spontaneous reports are unverified observations. Compare with epidemiological studies in Sections 3–6 before drawing conclusions.
8. Curated Adverse Event Literature
Curated peer-reviewed literature linking specific adverse events to Hepatitis B Vaccine. Each entry is a case report, case series, or related safety publication identified via PubMed. Expand Search PubMed for additional literature below to run custom queries.
Disclaimer: Published reports describe observations and associations; they do not establish population incidence or causality.
9. Key References
References are organised by category. Links are provided to the original source where available.
Pre-Licensure Trials / FDA Review Documents
Merck & Co., Inc. Recombivax HB® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant]) — Prescribing Information. merck.com
GlaxoSmithKline. Engerix-B® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant]) — Prescribing Information. gskpro.com
Institute of Medicine / National Academies Reports
Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2012. nationalacademies.org
Institute of Medicine. Hepatitis B Vaccine and Demyelinating Neurological Disorders. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2002.
Committee on the Assessment of Studies of Health Outcomes Related to the Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule. The Childhood Immunization Schedule and Safety. National Academies Press; 2013.
Major Post-Licensure Safety Studies — Multiple Sclerosis & Demyelinating Disease
Ascherio A, Zhang SM, Hernán MA, et al. Hepatitis B vaccination and the risk of multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2001;344(5):327–332. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200102013440502
Confavreux C, Suissa S, Saddier P, et al. Vaccinations and the risk of relapse in multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2001;344(5):319–326. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200102013440501
DeStefano F, Verstraeten T, Jackson LA, et al. Vaccinations and risk of central nervous system demyelinating diseases in adults. Arch Neurol. 2003;60(4):504–509. DOI: 10.1001/archneur.60.4.504
Hernán MA, Jick SS, Olek MJ, Jick H. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a prospective study. Neurology. 2004;63(5):838–842. DOI: 10.1212/01.WNL.0000138433.61870.82
Heplisav-B Post-Licensure Safety
Klein NP, Goddard K, Lewis N, et al. Post-licensure safety surveillance of Heplisav-B and Engerix-B. JAMA. 2022;328(18):1834–1842. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.19356. Key finding: No statistically significant increased risk of acute MI with Heplisav-B vs. Engerix-B (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.73–1.27).
Disease Burden & Vaccine Effectiveness
Chang MH, Chen CJ, Lai MS, et al. Universal hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children. N Engl J Med. 1997;336(26):1855–1859. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199706263362602
Chang MH, You SL, Chen CJ, et al. Decreased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B vaccinees: a 20-year follow-up study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(19):1348–1355. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djp288
McMahon BJ, Bulkow LR, Singleton RJ, et al. Elimination of hepatocellular carcinoma and acute hepatitis B in children 25 years after a hepatitis B newborn and catch-up immunization program. Hepatology. 2011;54(3):801–807. DOI: 10.1002/hep.24442
Bohlke K, Davis RL, Marcy SM, et al. Risk of anaphylaxis after vaccination of children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2003;112(4):815–820. DOI: 10.1542/peds.112.4.815
Official Surveillance and Public Health References
CDC. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (The Pink Book) — Hepatitis B chapter. cdc.gov/pinkbook
WHO. Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) — Hepatitis B vaccine safety statements. who.int
Halma, M.; Varon, J. DARE-SAFE: Denominator-Adjusted Rate Estimates of Substance Adverse Events Frequency Evaluation in Pharmaceuticals and Vaccines. Pharmacoepidemiology. 2025, 4, 7. DOI: 10.3390/pharma4020007. CC BY 4.0.
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