If the second dose has been delayed more than 6 months since the first dose was given , it should be given as soon as possible. The first dose does not need to be given again. Speak with your health-care provider or call your local public health department, where free or low-cost vaccines for adults may be offered. For children, check the Vaccines for Children Program. All unvaccinated people, along with those who have never had hepatitis A, should be vaccinated before traveling to countries where hepatitis A is common.
Travelers to urban areas, resorts, and luxury hotels in countries where hepatitis A is common are still at risk. International travelers have been infected, even though they regularly washed their hands and were careful about what they drank and ate. Travelers to other countries where hepatitis A does not commonly occur are not recommended to receive hepatitis A vaccine before travel.
You should get the first dose of hepatitis A vaccine as soon as you plan international travel to a country where hepatitis A is common. The vaccine will provide some protection even if you get vaccinated closer to departure. People who are allergic to a vaccine component or are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin before traveling to a country where hepatitis A is common. Immune globulin provides effective protection against hepatitis A virus infection for up to 2 months, depending on the dosage given.
If you are staying longer than 2 months, you can get another dose of immune globulin during your visit for continued protection against hepatitis A. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Viral Hepatitis. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.
Hepatitis A Questions and Answers for the Public. Minus Related Pages. Index of Questions Overview. What is hepatitis? What is the difference between hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C? What is hepatitis A? How serious is hepatitis A? How common is hepatitis A in the United States? Are cases of hepatitis A increasing in the United States?
How is hepatitis A spread? Who is at risk for hepatitis A? What should I do if I think I have been exposed to hepatitis A virus? Can I prevent infection after an exposure to the hepatitis A virus? If I have had hepatitis A in the past, can I get it again?
How long does hepatitis A virus survive outside the body? What are the symptoms of hepatitis A? Can a person spread hepatitis A virus without having symptoms? How is hepatitis A diagnosed? How is hepatitis A treated?
How can I protect myself against hepatitis A? Who should get vaccinated against hepatitis A? How is the hepatitis A vaccine given? Is the hepatitis A vaccine effective? Is the hepatitis A vaccine safe? Who should not receive the hepatitis A vaccine? What is immune globulin? Will the hepatitis A vaccine protect me from other forms of hepatitis? This article looks at how the hepatitis C virus spreads, some risk factors, and how to prevent infection. The word hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C can be acute short-term or chronic long lasting. With early diagnosis, however, modern treatments can cure hepatitis C and prevent liver damage. Vaccines can prevent all types of viral hepatitis except for hepatitis C.
Avoiding contact with infected blood is the only way to avoid contracting hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus, meaning that a person must come into contact with blood that contains the virus to contract it. Most new cases of hepatitis C in the U. Transmission can happen when a person with the virus shares needles or contaminated drugs with others. The hepatitis C virus is very difficult to kill, and even tiny spots of blood that are invisible to the human eye can contain the virus.
People can also contract the virus in healthcare settings through exposure to blood that contains the virus, such as through accidental needlesticks.
Hepatitis C often has no symptoms. This means that a person can contract hepatitis C without knowing it. This makes it easier for them to transmit it to others. For this reason, it is important that people with a higher risk of coming into contact with the hepatitis C virus know how to avoid contracting and transmitting it. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. Avoiding contact with infected blood is the only way to prevent the condition. The most common way for people to contract hepatitis C is by injecting street drugs.
Because of this, the best way to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid injecting. Treatments can help many people quit. People in the U. If a person finds it difficult to stop, they can reduce the risk of contracting hepatitis C by never sharing drug equipment, ensuring a clean, hygienic environment, and always using new equipment, including syringes, ties, alcohol swabs, cottons, and cookers. People who may come into contact with infected blood, such as healthcare workers and caretakers, should always wash the hands thoroughly with soap and water after any contact, or suspected contact, with blood.
People can also reduce their risk by making sure that any tattoo artist or body piercer they visit uses fresh, sterile needles and unopened ink.
The risk of contracting hepatitis C through sexual contact is low. Using barrier protection, such as condoms, reduces the risk of most sexually transmitted infections. The prognosis for hepatitis A patients is excellent with self-limiting course, and recovery is complete. About 85 percent of people with hepatitis A recover within three months, and almost all recover within six months.
The disease does not become chronic, and there are no long-term health implications. Hepatitis E, also called enteric hepatitis enteric means related to the intestines , is similar to hepatitis A, and more prevalent in Asia and Africa.
It is also transmitted through the fecal-oral route. It is generally not fatal, though it is more serious in women during pregnancy and can cause fetal complications. Most patients with hepatitis E recover completely. Hepatitis A and hepatitis E present with similar symptoms.
The diseases may develop without any signs or symptoms, or symptoms may be nonspecific. If you experience any of the symptoms below for more than two weeks, make an appointment with a gastroenterologist.
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