The legal framework
Vaccination is delivered provincially, and the schedules differ: some provinces vaccinate infants, others at school age, and some do both. Antenatal screening is universal, and infants born to carriers receive vaccine and immunoglobulin at birth. Treatment is covered through provincial drug plans.
Hepatitis B vaccination in Canada is delivered through provincial programmes, and the schedules differ: some provinces vaccinate infants, others historically vaccinated in grade four to six, and several have moved to infant schedules in recent years. Screening in pregnancy is universal, with a birth dose and immunoglobulin for babies of positive mothers.
Key points
| Schedules | Provincial; infant, school-age or both depending on the province |
|---|---|
| Antenatal screening | Universal |
| Babies of carriers | Vaccine and immunoglobulin at birth |
| Testing | Through public health and primary care; recommended for people born in higher prevalence countries |
| Treatment | Covered through provincial drug plans |
| Newcomers | Screening offered through immigrant and refugee health services |
| Coverage variation | Free vaccination eligibility differs by province |
In practice
- Check your province's schedule: what you received depends on where and when you grew up.
- Ask for full serology if you were born in a higher prevalence country.
- Household contacts of a carrier should be tested and vaccinated.
- Immigrant health clinics offer screening as part of initial assessments.
Cost and coverage
Vaccination is publicly funded for eligible groups; treatment is covered through provincial drug plans.
Where to go
- Provincial public health units.
- Immigrant and refugee health clinics.
- Hepatology clinics of teaching hospitals.
Worth knowing
Because schedules differ between provinces and have changed over time, many adults do not know whether they were vaccinated. A single antibody test settles it.
Frequently asked questions
Which schedule applied to me in Canada?
It depends on the province and the year you were born: some provinces vaccinated infants, others school-age children, and the age has shifted over time. Your provincial immunisation record is the reliable source; where there is no record, serology answers the question.
Why does the birth dose matter so much?
Because transmission from mother to baby at birth is the route most likely to produce a lifelong chronic infection — an infant infected at birth has a very high chance of never clearing the virus, whereas an adult usually does. A vaccine dose within twenty-four hours of birth, with immunoglobulin where the mother is positive, prevents this in the great majority of cases.
Official sources and links
- Public Health Agency of Canada — STI guidance and surveillance
- CATIE — national HIV and hepatitis C knowledge exchange
- Canada.ca — official government portal
- Justice Laws Website — federal statutes and regulations