Hepatitis B is a serious virus that causes inflammation of the liver. You can be infected directly, through infected blood or body fluids, sharing needles or indirectly, by coming in contact with surfaces or objects contaminated with the hepatitis B virus.
Some common ways of getting hepatitis B include contact with infected blood/body fluids through: sexual contact, sharing needles, repeatedly sharing an infected person's toothbrush, razor or earrings, cuts and scrapes during contact sports, and potentially by piercing or tattooing.
The symptoms usually associated with Hepatitis B include loss of appetite, nausea & vomiting, upper right abdominal pain, fever, headache, brownish urine, light gray stools, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
It's easy to protect yourself from Hepatitis B, just get vaccinated. It consists of a series of three injections at specific intervals over a six (6) month period. That's ll it take to bring your risk down dramatically. Additional information on Hepatitis can be obtained from the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/
The Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended, but not required, for students attending NIU. The Preventive Medicine department offers the Hepatitis B vaccine for a nominal charge. For students age 20 and older the cost of the vaccine is $38.00 (subject to change) per dose (the vaccine is a three dose series) and for students up to age 19, the cost is $21.50 (subject to change) per dose. Students who have had doses administered at home can complete the series at Health Services.
For further information, contact the Preventive Medicine office of Health Services at (815) 753-9759.
