Routine Care & Wellness

Hepatitis A

Symptoms

Effects of hepatitis A viral infection differ from person to person. The older the person, the more severe the symptoms. Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain, dark urine, and appetite loss. Respiratory symptoms, rash, and joint pain may also develop. The average time between exposure to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and the development of symptoms is about 28 days. Symptoms commonly last for about 4 weeks, but in 20% of people who catch the disease the symptoms may return and continue on and off for up to 15 months.

Vaccine Safety

The hepatitis A vaccine is very safe and effective. You cannot get hepatitis A from the vaccine. Side effects, when they occur, are minimal and may include soreness at the injection site or a headache. As with any medicine, there are very small risks those serious problems, even death, could occur after getting a vaccine. However, the risks from the disease are much greater than the risks from the vaccine.

Prevention

There is a vaccine to protect against HAV infection. Two doses are needed 6 to 12 months apart to ensure long-term protection. Travelers should get the first dose at least 4 weeks prior to departure.

Who should get hepatitis A vaccine?

• A person who shares a household or has sexual contact with someone who is infected with the hepatitis A virus.
• Children and employees in childcare centers (especially centers that have children in diapers) where a child or an employee has a hepatitis A virus infection.
• Travelers visiting developing countries where hepatitis A is common and where clean water and proper sewage disposal are not available. These areas include, but are not limited to, Africa, Asia (except Japan), parts of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and the Middle East.
• Persons who have chronic liver disease.
• Persons who have clotting-factor disorders, such as hemophilia.
• Residents and staff of institutions for disabled children where a resident or an employee has hepatitis A.
• Men who have sex with men.
• Illegal drug users.

• Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infected an estimated 180,000 Americans in 1996.
• Hepatitis A can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine.
• You cannot get hepatitis A from the vaccine.
• Some people get so sick from hepatitis A they have to be hospitalized.
• Hepatitis A is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in travelers.
• About 100 people die from hepatitis A each year.
• As a result of contracting hepatitis A, an adult loses an average of one month of work or $2,600 in wages.
• Hepatitis A is 1,000 times more common than cholera and 100 times more common than typhoid among travelers.
• Hepatitis A is found throughout the world, but is especially common in developing countries with poor hygiene and sanitation. Most cases in the United States occur from person-to-person transmission, especially from children to adults.
• The hepatitis A virus is easily spread under poor sanitary conditions and when poor personal hygiene exists.
• People can get hepatitis A by consuming contaminated water or ice; raw shellfish from sewage contaminated water; and fruits, vegetables or other foods eaten uncooked that may have been contaminated during handling.

These facts about Hepatitis A are courtesy of the
National Coalition of Adult Immunization

to reach their organization, please click here for more information.