HHS HealthBeat (August 2, 2010)

A hep shot

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

After the hepatitis A vaccine was introduced in the mid-1990s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saw cases fall. But people are still contracting this contagious viral disease of the liver. 

Hepatitis A can give adults nausea, vomiting and stomach pain for up to six months – and, in some cases, can lead to liver failure and death. At the CDC, Trudy Murphy says the best time for vaccination is at 12 months of age to make sure children are protected against more severe infection as they grow older. She also says:

"The vaccine is also recommended for people who are most at risk of having the infection, including travelers and people who have liver disease or clotting disorders." (9 seconds)

The study is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 21, 2011