Hepatitis B vaccination for adults

Who this is recommended for

• Adults with diabetes aged 19 to 59, for whom this is a specific standing recommendation rather than an optional extra
• Adults with diabetes aged 60 and above, after discussion
• Adults with chronic kidney disease, ideally before dialysis becomes necessary
• Adults with chronic liver disease
• Healthcare workers, and household or sexual contacts of someone with hepatitis B
• Pilgrims travelling for Hajj or Umrah, because of shared razors at the head-shaving ritual
• Any unvaccinated adult who wants protection

Schedule

Three doses at 0, 1 and 6 months. Accelerated schedules exist when time is short. In chronic kidney disease a double-strength four-dose schedule is used, and we check your antibody level afterwards.

Timing

In diabetes, the sooner after diagnosis the better. The response to the vaccine falls with age, and in kidney disease it falls sharply once dialysis has started, which is why we vaccinate early rather than waiting.

What is available, and what we use

There is nothing to choose between these clinically. Hepatitis B vaccine is a price-controlled formulation in India, which is why every brand sits within a few rupees of the others. We use whichever adult-dose product we hold.

Product names and prices are listed so you know what you are being given and what it costs. They are for identification only and do not constitute a recommendation of any manufacturer. Prices shown are the manufacturer's maximum retail price per dose as at 12 August 2026; manufacturers and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority revise these from time to time, and your actual cost is confirmed before anything is administered.

What we will not gloss over

• Tell us if you have previously been vaccinated or have had hepatitis B; a blood test may be more useful than repeating the course.
• In chronic kidney disease we check anti-HBs one to two months after the last dose and then annually, and give a booster if the level falls.