Hepatitis A Vaccine

Hepatitis A vaccine may prevent hepatitis A disease that may occur with infection due to the hepatitis A virus.

Infection with the hepatitis A virus can cause the following: an infection of the liver that may or may not have symptoms (nausea, vomiting, dark urine, clay-colored stools, tiredness, fever, loss of appetite, yellow skin or eyes). The virus is spread through eating or drinking contaminated food or drink or by contact with infected people.

Hepatitis A vaccine does not contain active virus. It works by triggering the body to make antibodies against the bacteria to provide a defense against potential infection.

Hepatitis A vaccine comes as a suspension to be given intramuscularly by a healthcare provider.

Hepatitis A vaccine is given as 2 doses given at least 6 months later.

Tell your vaccine provider if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to this vaccine, any part of this vaccine, any other vaccine or any drug, food or substance. Tell your vaccine provider about the allergy and what symptoms you had.
• are immunosuppressed due to an medical condition (HIV, cancer) or are taking an immunosuppressant medication.
• tell your vaccine provider if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

In some cases, your health care provider may decide to postpone vaccination to a future visit.

Side effects that have been reported with hepatitis A vaccine include:

• pain, redness, or tenderness at the site of injection
• headache
• irritability, loss of appetite (in infants and children)

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:

• rash, hives, difficulty breathing or swallowing

People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.

Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your health care provider will usually file this report, or you can do it yourself. Visit https://vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967. VAERS is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff members do not give medical advice.

• Read the Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) that your vaccine provider will give you or you can obtain it at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/index.html
• Ask your healthcare provider.
• Call your local or state health department.

• Havrix^®
• Vaqta^®