What is the hepatitis A vaccine?
The hepatitis A vaccine is comprised of two doses given at least 6 months apart. Most people will develop protective levels of antibody within one month after a single dose of vaccine. Because hepatitis A is a dangerous pathogen that is easily transmitted, the CDC recommends that children be routinely vaccinated. The CDC recommends that children get the first dose at 12-23 months of age.
The hepatitis A vaccine is not the immune globulin (IG) shot, which provides immediate immunity but is only effective for 3 months. When a food handler tests positive for hepatitis A, health officials usually administer free immune globulin shots.
For more information on the hepatitis A vaccine, please see the following:
- Information on hepatitis A and the vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/a/index.htm#vaccine
- CDC Publication, Hepatitis A Vaccine: What You Need to Know, www.cdc.gov/niP/publications/VIS/vis-hep-a.pdf
- Information on hepatitis A and the vaccine from Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/005107.htm
