Hepatitis A vaccine is a vaccine that prevents hepatitis A, effective in around 95 percent of cases and lasting at least twenty years and possibly a person's entire life. Two doses are recommended beginning after the age of one, given by injection into a muscle, and most formulations contain inactivated virus while a few contain a weakened live virus, the latter not recommended during pregnancy or for those with poor immune function. The first hepatitis A vaccine was approved in the European Union in 1991 and in the United States in 1995, and a person who has not previously been vaccinated and has direct contact with someone with hepatitis A should receive the vaccine within two weeks of exposure. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.
Facts
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1. Hepatitis A Vaccine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, final sentence of first paragraphQuote, Lead section, final sentence of first paragraph
The first hepatitis A vaccine was approved in the European Union in 1991, and the United States in 1995.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does protection from the hepatitis A vaccine last?
At least twenty years and possibly for life, after two doses.
The vaccine is effective in around 95 percent of cases and lasts at least twenty years, and possibly a person's entire life. Two doses are recommended beginning after the age of one, given by injection into a muscle. Most formulations contain inactivated virus, while a few contain a weakened live virus, which is not recommended during pregnancy or for those with poor immune function.
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