Hepatitis A vaccine information

What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the liver. For every 1,000 people infected, 1 to 3 will die. The death rate is higher in people 50 years of age and older.

The hepatitis A virus is found in the bowel movements (stool) of infected persons. People with hepatitis A infection who use the bathroom without proper hand washing can pass the virus on to others through food preparation or other hand-to-mouth contact. The disease can also be spread by sexual contact, or sharing of equipment used in drug use, such as needles or pipes.

Hepatitis A can also be spread by drinking contaminated water, or by eating raw or under-cooked shellfish, such as crabs, crayfish, oysters or mussels, that have been contaminated with sewage.

Who should get the hepatitis A vaccine?

The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended and funded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children at 18 months of age.

The vaccine is also recommended but not funded for people likely to come in contact with or spread the hepatitis A virus, including:

people living, working or travelling in developing countries, particularly in rural areas;
Food handlers;
people with multiple sex partners
Residents and staff of institutions for the developmentally challenged with an ongoing problem with hepatitis A infection;
Zoo-keepers, veterinarians and researchers who handle primates;
Those involved in research on hepatitis A virus, or the production of hepatitis A vaccine.

The vaccine is administered as a course of 2 doses given 6 months apart.