Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver. It is caused by a virus. It is passed from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected. A person can also get it from objects, foods, or drinks that are contaminated.
The infection can cause harm to the liver. It may not always cause problems, but some people may have:
The infection often goes away on its own in 2 months. People with severe problems may need a liver transplant. This is not common.
This vaccine is an inactivated form of the hepatitis A virus. It is given as a shot in the arm.
There is also a combined vaccine that protects against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
This vaccine is advised for all children aged 12 to 23 months. The second dose should be given at least 6 months after the first dose. The vaccine should also be given to children 2 through 18 years of age who were not vaccinated in the past.
Adults who were not vaccinated in the past can also get the vaccine. It is also advised for:
Mild problems may be:
Rarely, a severe allergic reaction may cause:
People who should not get vaccinated are:
If a food-borne outbreak happens, the source will be identified and eliminated. In any hepatitis A outbreak, the public will get vaccinated to prevent the virus from spreading.
American Liver Foundation
https://www.liverfoundation.org
Hepatitis Foundation International
http://www.hepatitisfoundation.org
Canadian Institute for Health Information
https://www.cihi.ca
Canadian Liver Foundation
https://www.liver.ca
2015 Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/default.htm. Accessed September 14, 2020.
Hepatitis A questions and answers for health professionals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HAV/HAVfaq.htm. Accessed September 14, 2020.
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/hepatitis-a-virus-hav-infection. Accessed September 14, 2020.
Hepatitis A virus vaccine inactivated. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/drug-monograph/hepatitis-a-virus-vaccine-inactivated. Accessed September 14, 2020.
Immunization schedules. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html. Accessed September 14, 2020.
Shin EC, Jeong SH. Natural History, Clinical Manifestations, and Pathogenesis of Hepatitis A. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018 Sep 4;8(9).
Viral hepatitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
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Accessed September 14, 2020.
Last reviewed March 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Shawna Grubb, RN
Last Updated: 3/19/2021