The essentials
- Usual timing
- Offered in Grade 7; some children need protection earlier
- How to get it
- Ask a primary care provider or public health unit about local appointments and funding.
Helps prevent a liver infection that can become long term and lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Hepatitis B spreads through infected blood and certain body fluids, including at birth.
If the person giving birth has hepatitis B, protection is needed at birth. The care team should arrange it; do not wait for Grade 7. Newborn guidance
School status
Publicly funded through Ontario’s school program. Not required under Ontario’s school vaccination law.
Side effects & precautions
Soreness, headache, tiredness or a mild fever can occur. Let the vaccinator know about a history of fainting. Side-effect guidance
A severe allergic reaction is rare. The product, age and immune status affect the number and timing of doses.
Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the tongue or throat. Not sure whether a reaction is expected? Contact a healthcare provider or call 811 for advice. Seek care promptly if symptoms are worrying or getting worse.
Useful to know
How many doses?
Ontario’s Grade 7 program generally uses two doses. Other ages or situations may require a different series. Bring records of any hepatitis B vaccine already given; a completed valid series usually does not need repeating.
An important newborn exception
If the person giving birth has hepatitis B, the baby needs hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth and hepatitis B immune globulin (an antibody treatment) as soon as possible, preferably within 12 hours. The pregnancy and newborn care team should arrange this. Other household exposure also needs a provider’s assessment. Protection at birth
Missed the school clinic?
Contact public health to check catch-up eligibility and appointments, including for students who are homeschooled or outside the usual school program.
Ingredients & more detail
Check the exact product
Ask the clinic for the product name. Its official Canadian product information (product monograph) lists ingredients, packaging, side effects and precautions. This page is a short overview, not a complete safety list.
Find a product in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database
Engerix-B — Canadian product monograph (PDF). This is one product example; confirm which product the clinic uses.
Your next step
Bring the immunization record and a list of questions to the visit. Ask which doses count, what comes next and how to report new doses to public health.
Sources and references (6)
- Ontario — routine immunization schedule
- Canadian Immunization Guide — hepatitis B vaccines
- Public Health Agency of Canada — provincial childhood schedules (July 2026)
- Ontario — vaccines for children at school
- Health Canada — Drug Product Database and product monographs
- Engerix-B — Canadian product monograph (PDF)
Program details can change. How this guide is reviewed