Hep A Vaccine Recommendations Upgraded by CDC

The advisory committee that recommends vaccines voted on February 22, 2018, anyone over 12 months of age, who has not been vaccinated for hepatitis A virus, should receive the vaccine if they are exposed to the virus.

Hepatitis A is very contagious, and usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from food or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides advice and guidance to the Director of the CDC regarding the use of vaccines in the USA.

This action by the ACIP is related to the current hepatitis A outbreak in the USA, and in various countries. 

Since March 2017, the CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has been assisting several state and local health departments with hepatitis A outbreaks, spread through person to person contact.

Hepatitis A outbreaks have been reported in California, Kentucky, Michigan, and Utah.

Various cities are tackling hepatitis A outbreaks differently, but with one common denominator, local leadership.

Hepatitis A vaccination uptake increased significantly after local leaders started speaking to the public about the severity of this disease.

For people who do have contact with a person with Hepatitis A virus, Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended by the CDC for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus in the previous 2 weeks.

PEP consists of:

• Hepatitis A vaccine for people aged 1-40 years
• Hepatitis A virus-specific immunoglobulin (IG) for people outside of this age range. If immunoglobulin is not available, hepatitis A vaccine can be substituted
• A single dose of the hepatitis A vaccine is 90 percent effective at preventing infection, says the CDC.

In the USA, there are three FDA approved hepatitis A vaccines:

• Vaqta and Havrix are approved for people ≥12 months of age in a 2-dose series
• A combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B Twinrix vaccine is approved for people ≥18 years of age in the United States.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides current HAV vaccine contract prices and general information.

Hep A vaccine discounts can be found here.

Most community health centers, pediatricians, and pharmacies offer hep A vaccines.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.