[PLOlover]

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The HepB virus can be transmitted during birth. Kids (particularly kids in daycare) are swapping fluids all the frickin' time. From the article in wikipedia:

"In moderate prevalence areas, the disease is predominantly spread among children...only 5% of new-borns that acquire the infection from their mother at birth will clear the infection. Of those infected between the age of one to six, 70% will clear the infection. When the infection is not cleared, one becomes a chronic carrier of the virus."

I'd say there are reasons to give it to children.

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Well I agree with you that if a person is going to be institutionalized, engage in gay sex, or use IV drugs, then hepB is a very good idea.

But since it takes 2 years or 3 months or whatever, 3 shots, to do a hepB immunization, I doubt it would help with mother-child birth transmission. In any case, even if it did, it could be done on a case by case basis when the mother tests ;positive for hepB.