Hepatitis A | Marest

Travel health information about Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A Vaccination at a Glance

The cost depends which brand we recommend in your specific circumstances:

Hepatitis A Adult, Single Dose: £80
Hepatitis A Child, Havrix jr, Single Dose: £55
Hepatitis A and Typhoid, Single Dose: £100
Hepatitis A and B Adult, Course of Three: £85 per dose
Hepatitis A and B Child, Ambrix, Course of Three, £61 per dose

Risk Areas: Worldwide. High Risk in Africa, Asia and South America.

Regions where hepatitis A is common

Hepatitis A is found throughout the world but it’s common where sanitation is poor, mostly across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America.

What is Hepatitis A and what causes it?

Hepatitis A infects the liver and affects its function. People catch it by coming into contact with anything contaminated by faecal matter – poo – including food and water. Very rarely, it can be transmitted via blood. It causes several problems including jaundice, where you turn yellow, plus nausea, fatigue and fever. It can last for anything between a few weeks and several months.

There is no cure for Hepatitis A so treatment is usually supportive, which means the medical profession simply treats the symptoms. Most people make a full recovery, but it can be more serious for older people and those with existing liver problems.

While some people experience no symptoms at all, the most common effects of hepatitis A are:

Flu-like symptoms, general aches and pains
Tiredness, nausea, sometimes actually being sick
An aching liver, located in the upper right part of your stomach just below your ribs
Yellowing skin (jaundice) and eyes, where the whites of your eyes turn yellow. They clear slowly, usually within 3 weeks, even without treatment
You will feel tired and weak for a few weeks afterwards, sometimes for several months
It’s very rare to experience serious problems

Vaccination is recommended for people who:

Travel to or live in parts of the world where the disease is common, especially where hygiene standards are low
Have any kind of long term liver problem
Have haemophilia, are homosexual or inject illegal drugs
Work with sewerage
Work in a place with low standards of hygiene
Work with monkeys, apes, baboons, chimps or gorillas
Have regular close contact with someone who is already infected

How to minimise the risk of catching hepatitis A?

Good personal hygiene helps prevent hepatitis A from spreading. It’s also important to avoid:

Drinking any water except boiled or bottled water, also avoiding juice drinks mixed with water
Sharing towels or toothbrushes
Raw or under-cooked shellfish
Salads, fruit and vegetables washed in water – if in doubt buy your own, wash them in bottled water and peel them yourself
Ice cubes
Cleaning your teeth with unsafe water
Unpasteurised dairy products
Food from street traders, food left out at room temperature and food exposed to flies

About the vaccine and it's side effects?

The Hepatitis A vaccine is given as a course of two injections. The first vaccination is followed by a booster vaccination six months later, which can provide as much as 25 years of protection.

The first dose provides high levels of protection for the first year plus some for the next four years. There are various combinations of the drug, which can be given combined with Hepatitis B or Typhoid injections if you need it, and there’s also a version for children.

The vaccine is suitable for anyone over one year old. If you’re pregnant or breast feeding please speak to our travel nurse, who will give you expert advice about the suitability of the vaccine.

Course – 2 doses 6 – 12 months apart. If it’s more than a year since your first injection, we don’t usually need to re-start the course
Booster – None. Just a single course of two injections
Side effects – Mild pain, redness or swelling at the site of the injection. Sometimes flu-like symptoms or stomach and bowel problems
Special Certificate requirement – None
Special instructions – Like many clinics we use several brands of vaccine, all of which work equally well. We sometimes use a different booster to the first injection, which is also fine

How long will the protection last?

The protection lasts 25 years. If you have already had hepatitis A, you can’t catch the infection again and you won’t need to be immunised.

How much do hepatitis A vaccinations cost?

The cost depends which brand we recommend in your specific circumstances:

Hepatitis A Adult, Single Dose: £80

Hepatitis A Child, Single Dose: £56

Consultations

Want to book a Hepatitis A vaccination? You may simply want to explore the risks or find out more first. It’s quick and easy to book an appointment, either by phone or via our website. Call 0203 488 7351 to talk to a friendly, expert vaccination specialist.

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