USES: This medication is used to help prevent infection from the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A infection can be mild with no symptoms or a severe illness that can rarely cause liver failure and death. Preventing infection can prevent these problems.Hepatitis A vaccine is made from whole, killed hepatitis A virus. It does not contain live virus, so you cannot get hepatitis from the vaccine. This vaccine works by helping the body produce immunity (through antibody production) that will prevent you from getting infection from hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A vaccine does not protect you from other virus infections (such as HIV virus, which causes AIDS; hepatitis B, hepatitis C or hepatitis E; HPV virus, which causes genital warts and other problems).The vaccine is recommended for people aged 12 months and older, especially those at an increased risk of getting the infection. Those at an increased risk include people who live with or spend much time with people with hepatitis A infections, institutional or daycare workers, lab workers, people with multiple sex partners, men who have sex with men, sex workers, injecting and non-injecting drug abusers, and people traveling to high-risk areas.
HOW TO USE: Read the Vaccine Information Statement available from your health care provider before receiving the vaccine. If you have any questions, consult your health care provider.This vaccine is usually given by injection into a shoulder muscle by a health care professional.A series of 2 injections is usually given over a 6- to 18-month period. Your doctor will give you a vaccination schedule, which must be followed closely for best effectiveness. If you have an illness with fever at the time a vaccination is scheduled, your doctor may choose to delay the injection until you are better.The dosage is based on your age. Different brands of hepatitis A vaccine are available and may be given differently. Make sure that you receive the same brand for each injection.If you are receiving the first hepatitis A vaccine injection at a time when your doctor feels you may have been exposed to hepatitis A, you will also receive an injection of immune globulin (IG). IG contains antibodies against the hepatitis A virus and will immediately help protect you from developing an infection. These antibodies only last a few months. For long-term protection, it is important to follow your vaccination schedule for the hepatitis A vaccine exactly.
Hepatitis is most often viral, due to infection with one of the hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E, F (not confirmed), and G) or another virus (such as those that cause infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus disease). The main nonviral causes of hepatitis are alcohol and drugs. Many patients infected with hepatitis A, B, and C have few or no symptoms of illness. For those who do develop symptoms of viral hepatitis, the most common are flu- like symptoms including: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness, tiredness, and aching in the abdomen. Treatment of viral hepatitis is dependant on the type of hepatitis.
Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are the two most commnon viruses that infect the liver. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B can be prevented and treated with immunizations (vaccinations) such as Havrix, Vaqta, Twinrix, Comvax, Pediarix, and hepatitis b immune globulin (HBIG).
The term 'hepatitis' means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused
by viruses, other
infectious agents, alcohol, and other chemicals. The two viruses that most
commonly infect the liver are the hepatitis A virus and the hepatitis B virus.
Although their names are similar, these viruses are not related. They differ in
the way they are transmitted from person to person and their ability to cause
chronic infection.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is caused by a virus which is spread predominately through the
fecal-oral route when small amounts of infected fecal matter are inadvertently
ingested. Infected individuals shed large amounts of the virus in their stool,
starting about two weeks before symptoms present, and continue shedding the
virus in their stool for one to three
months.
Close contact with an infected person increases the chances of
contracting
the virus.
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