V - Hepatitis A Vaccine

HEPATITIS A VACCINE
W H AT Y O U N E E D T O K N OW
• Children and adolescents who live in states or
1 What is hepatitis A?
communities where routine vaccination has
Hepatitis A is a serious liver disease caused by the been recommended.
hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the • Men who have sex with men.
stool of persons with hepatitis A. It is usually
spread by close personal contact and sometimes by • Persons who use street drugs.
eating food or drinking water containing HAV.
• Persons with chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis A can cause:
• Persons who are treated with clotting factor
• mild “flu-like”
concentrates.
illness
• jaundice (yellow • Persons who work with HAV-infected primates
skin or eyes) or who work with HAV in research laboratories.
• severe stomach
pains and diarrhea
Other people might get hepatitis A vaccine in
special situations:
People with hepatitis
A often have to be • Hepatitis A vaccine might be recommended for
hospitalized (up to about 1 person in 5). children or adolescents in communities where
outbreaks of hepatitis A are occurring.
Sometimes, hepatitis A causes death (about 100
per year in the U.S.).
Hepatitis A vaccine is not licensed for children less than
A person who has hepatitis A can easily pass the
2 years of age.
disease to others within the same household.
Hepatitis A vaccine can prevent hepatitis A.

WHEN?
The hepatitis A vaccine series may be started
Who should get hepatitis A
2 vaccine and when?
whenever a person is at risk of infection.
For travelers, the vaccine series should be started

WHO? at least one month before traveling.
Some people should be routinely vaccinated with
hepatitis A vaccine: Two doses of the vaccine are needed for lasting
protection. These doses should be given at least 6
• Persons 2 years of age and older traveling to or months apart.
working in countries with high or intermediate
Hepatitis A vaccine may be given at the same time
prevalence of hepatitis A, such as those located
as other vaccines.
in Central or South America, the Caribbean,
Mexico, Asia (except Japan), Africa, and eastern
Europe.
Hepatitis A 8/4/04
Some people should not get Severe problems
3 hepatitis A vaccine or should • serious allergic reaction, within a few minutes
wait to a few hours of the shot (very rare)
• Anyone who has ever had a severe (life-
threatening) allergic reaction to a previous What if there is a moderate or
dose of hepatitis A vaccine should not get 5 severe reaction?
another dose.
What should I look for?
• Anyone who has a severe (life threatening) • Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or
allergy to any vaccine component should behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic
not get the vaccine. Tell your doctor if you have reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarse-
any severe allergies. Some hepatitis A vaccine ness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a
contains alum and 2-phenoxyethanol. fast heart beat or dizziness.
• Anyone who moderately or severely ill at the What should I do?
time the shot is scheduled should probably wait • Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right
until they recover. Ask your doctor or nurse. away.
People with a mild illness can usually get the
vaccine. • Tell your doctor what happened, the date and
time it happened, and when the vaccination was
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. The safety given.
of hepatitis A vaccine for pregnant women has • Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to
not been determined. But there is no evidence report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse
that it is harmful to either pregnant women or Event Reporting System (VAERS) form.
their unborn babies. The risk, if any, is thought
to be very low. Or you can file this report through the VAERS
web site at www.vaers.org, or by calling
1-800-822-7967.
What are the risks from
4 hepatitis A vaccine? VAERS does not provide medical advice.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause
serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
The risk of hepatitis A vaccine causing serious 6 How can I learn more?
harm, or death, is extremely small. • Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the
Getting hepatitis A vaccine is much safer than vaccine package insert or suggest other sources
getting the disease. of information.
• Call your local or state health department.
Mild problems
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and
• soreness where the shot was given (about 1 out Prevention (CDC):
of 2 adults, and up to 1 out of 5 children) - Call 1-800-232-2522 (English)
• headache (about 1 out of 6 adults and 1 out of - Call 1-800-232-0233 (Español)
20 children) - Visit CDC websites at: www.cdc.gov/hepatitis
• loss of appetite (about 1 out of 12 children) or www.cdc.gov/nip
• tiredness (about 1 out of 14 adults)
If these problems occur, they usually last for 1 or 2
days.
department of health and human services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hepatitis A (8/4/04) Vaccine Information Statement National Immunization Program

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HEPATITIS A VACCINE

Hepatitis A vaccine can prevent hepatitis A.

For travelers, the vaccine series should be started

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