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Hepatitis A Immunization Information
Description
A disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV)
Symptoms
Potentially none (likelihood of symptoms increase as a person gets older)
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.
As an adult, do I need to be vaccinated for Hepatitis A?
The hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for the following adults, especially if:
- You are a man and have sex with other men.
- You use street drugs.
- You work in 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 a research setting.
Vaccine Information Statement
Hepatitis A Fact Sheet English (pdf)
Hepatitis A Fact Sheet Spanish (pdf)
