Yes, both types of hepatitis A vaccine are highly effective in preventing hepatitis A virus infection. Receiving the entire vaccine series all of the required shots results in long-term protection. Yes, the hepatitis A vaccine is safe. No serious side effects have been reported from the hepatitis A vaccine. Soreness at the injection site is the most common side effect reported. As with any medicine, there is always a small risk that a serious problem could occur after someone gets the vaccine.
However, the potential risks of hepatitis A are much greater than the potential risks associated with the hepatitis A vaccine. Millions of doses of hepatitis A vaccine have been given in the United States and worldwide since the first hepatitis A vaccine was licensed in People who have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the hepatitis A vaccine or who are known to be allergic to any part of the hepatitis A vaccine should not receive the vaccine.
Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies. Also, the vaccine is not licensed for use in infants under age 1 year. Unlike the hepatitis A vaccine, immune globulin does not provide long-term protection against infection.
The hepatitis A vaccine only protects against hepatitis A. There is a separate vaccine available for hepatitis B. There is also a combination hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine that offers protection for both viruses. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C at this time. If the second dose has been delayed more than 6 months since the first dose was given , it should be given as soon as possible. The first dose does not need to be given again.
Speak with your health-care provider or call your local public health department, where free or low-cost vaccines for adults may be offered. For children, check the Vaccines for Children Program. All unvaccinated people, along with those who have never had hepatitis A, should be vaccinated before traveling to countries where hepatitis A is common. Travelers to urban areas, resorts, and luxury hotels in countries where hepatitis A is common are still at risk.
International travelers have been infected, even though they regularly washed their hands and were careful about what they drank and ate. Travelers to other countries where hepatitis A does not commonly occur are not recommended to receive hepatitis A vaccine before travel. You should get the first dose of hepatitis A vaccine as soon as you plan international travel to a country where hepatitis A is common.
The vaccine will provide some protection even if you get vaccinated closer to departure. People who are allergic to a vaccine component or are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin before traveling to a country where hepatitis A is common. Immune globulin provides effective protection against hepatitis A virus infection for up to 2 months, depending on the dosage given.
If you are staying longer than 2 months, you can get another dose of immune globulin during your visit for continued protection against hepatitis A. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Viral Hepatitis. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Bursitis of the Hip. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. High Blood Pressure. Home Diseases and Conditions Hepatitis A.
Table of Contents. What is hepatitis? What is hepatitis A? Symptoms of hepatitis A The hepatitis A virus is usually in your system for 2 to 6 weeks before symptoms appear. What causes hepatitis A? You are most likely to get hepatitis A from another person when: A person who has the virus does not wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom A parent does not wash their hands properly after changing the diaper of an infected child A caregiver does not wash their hands properly after cleaning up the stool of an infected person A person has sex with a person who has the virus You can also get infected with hepatitis A by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.
How is hepatitis A diagnosed? Hepatitis A treatment There is no specific medicine to treat or cure hepatitis A. Can hepatitis A be prevented or avoided? Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating and avoid raw or undercooked meat and fish. You are at higher risk for hepatitis A if you: Live with or have sex with someone who has hepatitis A Travel to countries where hepatitis A is common Are a man who has sex with other men Use illegal drugs Have a clotting-factor disorder such as hemophilia.
Living with hepatitis A Once you recover from hepatitis A, you develop antibodies that protect you from the virus for life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What treatment is best for me? Will I need be hospitalized? Are there any medicines I should avoid taking? Are there foods I should avoid eating?
Can I drink alcohol? HCV usually produces no symptoms, and if symptoms are present they are mild. However, up to 85 percent of people infected with HCV will develop chronic infection, of which roughly 70 percent will advance to active liver disease and premature death from cirrhosis or liver cancer.
People already infected with HBV are at risk of acquiring an HDV infection, and should modify their behavior accordingly to reduce the risk of this additional infection.
Studies estimate that roughly 80 percent of people with HBV infection who acquire HDV infection will develop chronic liver disease with cirrhosis, compared to 15 to 30 percent of people with HBV infection alone. Hepatitis E spreads mainly through contaminated water, and the same precautions taken against Hepatitis A with regards to drinking water apply to Hepatitis E.
Symptoms are mostly the same as Hepatitis A, and as is the case in HAV, there is no chronic infection.
However, the fatality rate in pregnant women especially in the last trimester is much higher in Hepatitis E, and can reach 20 percent. There is no vaccine against, or treatment for, Hepatitis E. It is mostly found in developing countries where water treatment is poor or non-existent. Access myPennMedicine For Patients and Visitors. Find a Program or Service. Travel Medicine. Most Common Health Risks. Furthermore, hepatitis A vaccine has been proved effective in controlling outbreaks worldwide.
Research data show that a single dose of vaccine can halt outbreaks if an adequate number of susceptible individuals are vaccinated.
Information from rapid-outbreak control studies and those assessing postexposure administration of hepatitis A vaccine suggest that late vaccination provides a significant degree of protection. For these reasons, hepatitis A vaccine may be administered at any time before departure because it will still provide travelers with protection.
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