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Vaccine Evidence Summary

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.

Look up a vaccine lot or batch number in VAERS →

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.

CDC Recommended Schedule (United States, 2025)

Population Schedule Notes
Universal infant Dose 1: Birth (within 24 hours)
Dose 2: 1–2 months
Dose 3: 6–18 months
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.)

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.

Recombinant protein Intramuscular (IM) Adjuvant: Aluminum hydroxide No preservative (typical single-dose) Aluminum hydroxide Yeast protein Adjuvant: Amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS) AAHS aluminum Formaldehyde Adjuvant: CpG 1018 Polysorbate 80
Engerix-B GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals · Recombinant protein

Delivery

Route: Intramuscular (IM)

Form: Suspension for injection

Dose volume: 0.5 mL pediatric / 1 mL adult

Presentation: single-dose vial or prefilled syringe

Encapsulation / delivery vehicle

None (no nanoparticle/VLP encapsulation system)

Antigens

AntigenTypeAmount / dose
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
System: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
Recombinant protein10 mcg / 0.5 mL pediatric; 20 mcg / 1 mL adult

Adjuvants

Preservatives

  • None — Formulated without preservatives.

Excipients & residuals

IngredientCategoryAmountRole
Sodium chlorideBuffer9 mg/mLtonicity
Disodium phosphate dihydrateBuffer0.98 mg/mLphosphate buffer
Sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrateBuffer0.71 mg/mLphosphate buffer
Yeast proteinResidual (culture)trace residualresidual from recombinant production

Source: DailyMed · Verified 2026-07-09

Recombivax HB Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · Recombinant protein

Delivery

Route: Intramuscular (IM)

Form: Suspension for injection

Dose volume: 0.5 mL pediatric / 1 mL adult

Presentation: single-dose vial or prefilled syringe

Encapsulation / delivery vehicle

None (no nanoparticle/VLP encapsulation system)

Antigens

AntigenTypeAmount / dose
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
System: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
Recombinant protein5 mcg / 0.5 mL pediatric; 10 mcg / 1 mL adult (standard formulations)

Adjuvants

Preservatives

  • None — Single-dose presentation; label states no preservative.

Excipients & residuals

IngredientCategoryAmountRole
FormaldehydeResidual (inactivating agent)<15 mcg/mL residual (label-dependent)residual from manufacturing
Yeast proteinResidual (culture)trace residualresidual from recombinant production

Aluminum salt is AAHS (chemically distinct from aluminum hydroxide used in Engerix-B).

Source: FDA package insert · Verified 2026-07-09

Heplisav-B Dynavax Technologies · Recombinant protein

Delivery

Route: Intramuscular (IM)

Form: Solution for injection

Dose volume: 0.5 mL

Presentation: single-dose prefilled syringe

Encapsulation / delivery vehicle

None (no nanoparticle/VLP encapsulation system)

Antigens

AntigenTypeAmount / dose
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
System: Hansenula polymorpha (yeast)
Recombinant protein20 mcg per 0.5 mL

Adjuvants

  • CpG 1018 — 3000 mcg per 0.5 mL
    22-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide TLR9 agonist; not aluminum-based.

Preservatives

  • None — Formulated without preservatives.

Excipients & residuals

IngredientCategoryAmountRole
Sodium chlorideBuffer9.0 mg/mLPBS vehicle
Sodium phosphate, dibasic dodecahydrateBuffer1.75 mg/mLPBS
Sodium phosphate, monobasic dihydrateBuffer0.48 mg/mLPBS
Polysorbate 80Surfactant0.1 mg/mLsurfactant
Yeast proteinResidual (culture)≤5.0% of total protein residualresidual
Yeast DNAResidual (manufacturing)<20 pg residualresidual
DeoxycholateResidual (manufacturing)<0.9 ppm residualprocess residual

Latex: Tip caps and stoppers not made with natural rubber latex.

Source: FDA package insert · Verified 2026-07-09

ⓘ How to read this section

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.

Condition Time window Causality Potential mechanism(s)
Anaphylaxis HRSA table 0–1 days Very likely / Probable

Evidence: High

IgE-mediated hypersensitivity (anaphylaxis) (primary · hypersensitivity)

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).

Guillain-Barré Syndrome 0–42 days Unlikely

Evidence: Low

Molecular mimicry → Guillain-Barré syndrome (hypothetical · molecular_mimicry)

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
HepBRecombivax HBMerck3Birth 1M 6MNoneNo5 days
HepBEngerix BGSK3Birth 1M 6MNoneNo4 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.

Recombivax HB® & Engerix-B® — Pivotal Trials (1980s)

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 Limited Moderate 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.

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.

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

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.

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:

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

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)):

MetricValue
U.S. doses administered (2006–2022)248,816,802
Total VAERS AE reports19,737
AE reporting rate (per 100,000 doses)7.93
Total death reports222
Death reporting rate (per 100,000 doses)0.0892
AE-to-Death ratio89:1

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.

SurVigilance: VigiAccess · Lareb · DAEN · DMA · Medsafe

VigiAccess (WHO)

Lareb (Netherlands)

DAEN (Australia)

DMA (Denmark)

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.

Compare AE patterns across all vaccines →

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.

Search Canada Vigilance →

JADER (PMDA, Japan)

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)

Search JADER / PMDA adverse reactions →

EudraVigilance (EU)

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.

Search EudraVigilance →

VigiAccess (WHO)

1,981 MedDRA PT mentions · search: hepatitis B. Top categories: Other / Unclassified (30%), Dermatological (non-injection-site) (11%), Neurological (10%).

Live-scraped public portal data via SurVigilance (GPL-3.0). Counts are reaction-term mentions, not deduplicated individual cases. No lot/batch field.

Search VigiAccess (WHO) →

Lareb (Netherlands)

1,720 MedDRA PT mentions · search: Hepatitis B vaccine. Top categories: General / Systemic (non-local) (22%), Neurological (16%), Other / Unclassified (13%).

Live-scraped public portal data via SurVigilance (GPL-3.0). Counts are reaction-term mentions, not deduplicated individual cases. No lot/batch field.

Search Lareb (Netherlands) →

DAEN (Australia)

30,675 MedDRA PT mentions · search: hepatitis B. Top categories: Other / Unclassified (19%), Gastrointestinal (13%), General / Systemic (non-local) (13%).

Live-scraped public portal data via SurVigilance (GPL-3.0). Counts are reaction-term mentions, not deduplicated individual cases. No lot/batch field.

Search DAEN (Australia) →

SystemRegionLot data
VAERSUnited StatesLot data
Canada VigilanceCanadaNo public lot field
JADER (PMDA, Japan)JapanNo public lot field
Lareb (Netherlands)NetherlandsNo public lot field
EudraVigilanceEuropean UnionNo public lot field
VigiAccess (WHO)GlobalNo public lot field
Yellow Card (UK)United KingdomNo public lot field
DAEN (Australia)AustraliaNo public lot field

All global data sources → · Data schemas →

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).

Sources: Klein NP et al. JAMA 2022 — Heplisav-B vs Engerix-B safety · CDC VSD

Record last reviewed: 2026-07-10

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).

Agg. rank VAERS product Preferred term (event) N Method ranks (GPS / PRR / ROR / BCPNN)
63 HEP B (NO BRAND NAME) Uveitis
clinical-coded PT
33 GPS rank 20 (EBGM=39.97); PRR rank 98 (PRR=58.1675); ROR rank 98 (ROR=58.3053); BCPNN rank 94 (IC_LB=3.7697)
81 HEP B (RECOMBIVAX HB) Hepatitis B antibody negative
clinical-coded PT
171 GPS rank 107 (EBGM=14.97); PRR rank 102 (PRR=46.1792); ROR rank 102 (ROR=46.2994); BCPNN rank 54 (IC_LB=4.1854)
85 HEP B (NO BRAND NAME) Hepatitis B
clinical-coded PT
13 GPS rank 21 (EBGM=46.96); PRR rank 51 (PRR=161.547); ROR rank 52 (ROR=161.6992); BCPNN rank 255 (IC_LB=2.6806)
90 HEP B (RECOMBIVAX HB) Hepatitis B surface antibody negative
clinical-coded PT
83 GPS rank 113 (EBGM=13.98); PRR rank 107 (PRR=46.516); ROR rank 107 (ROR=46.5747); BCPNN rank 74 (IC_LB=3.897)
94 HEP B (RECOMBIVAX HB) Anti-HBs antibody negative
clinical-coded PT
29 GPS rank 99 (EBGM=19.27); PRR rank 81 (PRR=88.9113); ROR rank 81 (ROR=88.9508); BCPNN rank 166 (IC_LB=3.3181)
129 HEP B (ENGERIX-B) Hepatitis B antigen positive
clinical-coded PT
19 GPS rank 168 (EBGM=17.42); PRR rank 67 (PRR=161.9332); ROR rank 68 (ROR=161.9721); BCPNN rank 244 (IC_LB=2.8028)
135 HEP B (ENGERIX-B) Therapeutic response decreased
clinical-coded PT
35 GPS rank 231 (EBGM=8.1); PRR rank 92 (PRR=71.0233); ROR rank 92 (ROR=71.0546); BCPNN rank 158 (IC_LB=3.3509)
154 HEP B (ENGERIX-B) Hepatic function abnormal
clinical-coded PT
192 GPS rank 177 (EBGM=7.53); PRR rank 158 (PRR=23.7846); ROR rank 158 (ROR=23.8404); BCPNN rank 117 (IC_LB=3.6176)
177 HEP B (ENGERIX-B) Hepatitis B surface antigen positive
clinical-coded PT
36 GPS rank 210 (EBGM=8.6); PRR rank 140 (PRR=34.866); ROR rank 140 (ROR=34.8815); BCPNN rank 194 (IC_LB=3.1199)
208 HEP B (NO BRAND NAME) Hepatitis B antibody negative
clinical-coded PT
29 GPS rank 184 (EBGM=11.64); PRR rank 194 (PRR=21.5149); ROR rank 196 (ROR=21.5583); BCPNN rank 215 (IC_LB=3.0426)
220 HEP B (ENGERIX-B) No therapeutic response
clinical-coded PT
80 GPS rank 275 (EBGM=6.36); PRR rank 184 (PRR=20.9148); ROR rank 186 (ROR=20.9352); BCPNN rank 174 (IC_LB=3.2489)
221 HEP B (NO BRAND NAME) Autoimmune disorder
clinical-coded PT
27 GPS rank 149 (EBGM=14.81); PRR rank 217 (PRR=18.1854); ROR rank 217 (ROR=18.2193); BCPNN rank 239 (IC_LB=2.8517)
231 HEP B (RECOMBIVAX HB) Hepatic function abnormal
clinical-coded PT
116 GPS rank 206 (EBGM=7.07); PRR rank 223 (PRR=14.3952); ROR rank 224 (ROR=14.4193); BCPNN rank 200 (IC_LB=3.1026)
240 HEP B (RECOMBIVAX HB) Hepatitis
clinical-coded PT
90 GPS rank 212 (EBGM=7.15); PRR rank 225 (PRR=14.7511); ROR rank 226 (ROR=14.7703); BCPNN rank 212 (IC_LB=3.052)
252 HEP B (NO BRAND NAME) Drug toxicity
clinical-coded PT
34 GPS rank 222 (EBGM=8.65); PRR rank 239 (PRR=14.956); ROR rank 240 (ROR=14.9907); BCPNN rank 240 (IC_LB=2.8467)

Showing up to 15 pairs for this page (clinical-coded terms listed first). Full processed tables: rankv_signals.json.

  • Methods combined: BCPNN (IC), GPS/EBGM, PRR, ROR — then rank aggregation.
  • 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.

Source: nanx.me/rankv · Code: github.com/nanxstats/rankv (MIT) · Built: 2026-07-30.

▶ 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.

▶ 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.

▶ 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.

5. Disease Prevention Benefits

5a. Hepatitis B — Pre-Vaccine vs. Post-Vaccine Era (United States)

Metric Pre-Vaccine Era (Annual Average, ~1980–1985) Post-Vaccine Era (Annual, 2015–2024)
Estimated acute HBV infections ~200,000–300,000 annually (~260,000 in 1985) ~14,000–22,000 estimated annually (reported cases: ~2,000–3,200; CDC estimates ~5–6x underreporting)
New chronic HBV infections ~20,000–30,000 per year (estimated) ~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

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

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.

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.

9. Key References

References are organised by category. Links are provided to the original source where available.

Pre-Licensure Trials / FDA Review Documents

  1. Merck & Co., Inc. Recombivax HB® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant]) — Prescribing Information. merck.com
  2. GlaxoSmithKline. Engerix-B® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant]) — Prescribing Information. gskpro.com
  3. Dynavax Technologies Corporation. Heplisav-B® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant], Adjuvanted) — Prescribing Information. heplisavb.com
  4. VBI Vaccines Inc. PreHevbrio® (Hepatitis B Vaccine [Recombinant]) — Prescribing Information. prehevbrio.com
  5. FDA. Clinical Review — Heplisav-B (BLA 125428), 2017. fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/heplisav-b
  6. FDA. Clinical Review — PreHevbrio (BLA 125689), 2021. fda.gov

Institute of Medicine / National Academies Reports

  1. Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2012. nationalacademies.org
  2. Institute of Medicine. Hepatitis B Vaccine and Demyelinating Neurological Disorders. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2002.
  3. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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

  1. CDC. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (The Pink Book) — Hepatitis B chapter. cdc.gov/pinkbook
  2. CDC. Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/vsd.html
  3. CDC/FDA. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). vaers.hhs.gov
  4. CDC. 2025 Child & Adolescent Immunization Schedule. cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules
  5. WHO. Hepatitis B fact sheet (2024). who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b
  6. WHO. Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) — Hepatitis B vaccine safety statements. who.int
  7. 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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