Hepatitis A is a liver disease spread through personal contact or by consuming contaminated food or water. In 1983, for example, 203 people in Oklahoma contracted Hepatitis A; of these, 92 percent had eaten at the same restaurant in the preceding weeks. Hepatitis A can cause serious liver damage in extreme cases. Approximately 30 percent of the cases in the United States each year are in children under the age of 15.
Hepatitis A Vaccine
The Hepatitis A vaccine was licensed in 1995 and has been administered in the United States and throughout the world since that time with no directly attributable ill effects. According to the Immunization Action Coalition, 94 to 100 percent of all people receiving the vaccine are fully immune after the first of two recommended shots. Full immunity is conferred on 97 to 99 percent of the vaccine's recipients, regardless of age, after the complete two-shot series, according to the National Network for Immunization Information.
Recommended Hepatitis A Immunizations
The Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, among other major professional medical groups. The first shot should be given to children at 12 months of age; the second shot in the series should be given at least six months after the first. Toddlers receive this vaccine in the thigh muscle.
Later Vaccines
For children 2 years of age or older, talk to your pediatrician about the best time for them to receive the Hepatitis A vaccine series. Pediatricians typically will administer the vaccine as soon after age 2 as possible. Children receive the HAV immunization, which just protects against Hepatitis A. A combined Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B three-shot immunization series is available for people 18 years of age and above.
Hepatitis A Vaccine Reactions
According to NNII, nearly half of those receiving the vaccine will have no side effects. Mild reactions, such as soreness at the injection site and mild headaches, may occur for others. Allergic reactions are rarely noted and are experienced only when an individual is allergic to some component of the vaccine. Although long-term studies are continuing, immunity is believed to last 14 to 20 years in children who receive the vaccine and 20 to 25 years in adults. At present, later booster shots are not administered.
