Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Hepatitis A In-Short
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Description
A disease of the liver caused by hepatitis A virus
Symptoms
Potentially none (likelihood of symptoms decreases with the person's age)
If present: yellow skin or eyes, tiredness, stomach ache, loss of appetite, or nausea
Complications
Because young children might not have symptoms, the disease is often not recognized until the child's caregiver becomes ill with hepatitis A.
Transmission
Most often: spread by the fecal-oral route (An object contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A is put into another person's mouth.)
Less often: spread by swallowing food or water that contains the virus
Vaccine
Hepatitis A vaccine will prevent this disease.
Who Needs It?
As a child, do I need it? (immunization schedule)
Vaccine is recommended for all children at age 1 year.
As an adult, do I need it? (immunization schedule)
Vaccine is recommeded for the following persons aged 1 year and older:
- You live in a community with a high rate of hepatitis A.
- You are a man and have sex with other men.
- You use street drugs.
- You work or travel to countries with high rates of hepatitis A.
- You have long-term liver disease.
- You receive blood products to help your blood clot.
- You work with HAV-infected animals or work with HAV in research setting.
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Content last reviewed on January 16, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases