Why are infants at birth given a vaccine for Hepatitis B when in fact?
That is not the only way you can contract it. Many children contracted it from their mother during childbirth, which is why its given at birth. Hep B virus has also been found in breastmilk, so if the mother contracts it while breastfeeding an unimmunized infant could get it. It can also be contracted through things like sharing razors, scratches and bites (common at daycares and whenever very young children play together). Contracting it as an infant or child comes with a higher risk of liver cancer than if you contract it as an adult.