What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver. People who catch hepatitis A virus often don’t have any symptoms. Those who do have symptoms can experience loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, fatigue and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin). The symptoms may range from a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months and in rare cases death.
Every year before the vaccine, tens of thousands of people in the United States were infected with hepatitis A and many died from the disease. The hepatitis A vaccine is now recommended for all children in the United States.
How is hepatitis A transmitted?
Hep A spreads through close person-to-person contact with an infected person or through ingesting contaminated food or water.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis A?
Fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-colored urine, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), joint pain.
When do children get the vaccine?
Children need two doses of the hepatitis A vaccine:
First dose: 12-23 months
Second dose: at least 6 months after the first dose.
Does the varicella vaccine cause any reactions?
About 5-10% children given the vaccine will have pain, warmth or swelling where the shot was given. A headache is a more common symptom.