I have been vaccinated for hepatitis b, but not for hepatitis a. Should I be vaccinated for hepatitis a?

Question

I am a virgin and plan on waiting for marriage or whatever before sex, so is there any reason to get the vaccination?

Answer 1

It wouldn't hurt to get vaccinated for hepatitis A. Because hepatitis A usually goes away over time, it's not likely to lead to chronic disease if you contract it though.

Hepatitis B and C, however, can lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer if not treated; type D can also result in liver cancer. So, these are the ones you really need to watch out for.

Good luck!
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/

Answer 2

Alli is right.

I would only add that the Hep A vaccination is (officially) recommended in the following situations:
Persons traveling to or working in countries that have high or intermediate rates of hepatitis A.

All susceptible persons traveling to or working in countries that have high or intermediate rates of hepatitis A should be vaccinated or receive immune globulin before traveling. Persons from developed countries who travel to developing countries are at high risk for hepatitis A. Such persons include tourists, military personnel, missionaries, and others who work or study abroad in countries that have high or intermediate levels of of hepatitis A. The risk for hepatitis A exists even for travelers to urban areas, those who stay in luxury hotels, and those who report that they have good hygiene and that they are careful about what they drink and eat.

- Children in communities that have consistently increased rates of hepatitis A and periodic hepatitis A outbreaks.

Children living in communities that have consistently increased rates of hepatitis A (e.g., American Indian, Alaska Native) should be routinely vaccinated beginning at 2 years of age. High rates of hepatitis A are generally found in these populations, both in urban and rural settings. In addition, to effectively prevent epidemics of hepatitis A in these communities, vaccination of previously unvaccinated older children is recommended within 5 years of initiation of routine childhood vaccination programs. Although rates differ among areas, available data indicate that a reasonable cutoff age in many areas is 10-15 years of age because older persons have often already had hepatitis A. Vaccination of children before they enter school should receive highest priority, followed by vaccination of older children who have not been vaccinated. Men who have sex with men

- Sexually active men (both adolescents and adults) who have sex with men should be vaccinated.

Hepatitis A outbreaks among men who have sex with men have been reported frequently. Recent outbreaks have occurred in urban areas in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

- Illegal-drug users

Vaccination is recommended for injecting and non-injecting illegal-drug users if local health authorities have noted current or past outbreaks among such persons. During the past decade, outbreaks have been reported among injecting-drug users in the United States and in Europe.

- Persons who have occupational risk for infection

Persons who work with hepatitis A virus-infected primates or with hepatitis A virus in a research laboratory setting should be vaccinated. No other groups have been shown to be at increased risk for hepatitis A virus infection because of occupational exposure.

Outbreaks of hepatitis A have been reported among persons working with non-human primates that are susceptible to hepatitis A virus infection, including several Old World and New World species. Primates that were infected were those that had been born in the wild, not those that had been born and raised in captivity.

- Persons who have chronic liver disease

Persons with chronic liver disease who have never had hepatitis A should be vaccinated, as there is a higher rate of fulminant (rapid onset of liver failure, often leading to death) hepatitis A among persons with chronic liver disease. Persons who are either awaiting or have received liver transplants also should be vaccinated.

- Persons who have clotting-factor disorders

Persons who have never had hepatitis A and who are administered clotting-factor concentrates, especially solvent detergent-treated preparations, should be given hepatitis A vaccine.

All persons with hemophilia (Factor VIII, Factor IX) who receive replacement therapy should be vaccinated because there appears to be an increased risk of transmission from clotting-factor concentrates that are not heat inactivated.

GROUPS FOR WHOM HEPATITIS A VACCINE IS NOT ROUTINELY RECOMMENDED

- Food service workers

Foodborne hepatitis A outbreaks are relatively uncommon in the United States; however, when they occur, intensive public health efforts are required for their control.

Although persons who work as food handlers have a critical role in common-source foodborne outbreaks, they are not at increased risk for hepatitis A because of their occupation. Consideration may be given to vaccination of employees who work in areas where community-wide outbreaks are occurring and where state and local health authorities or private employers determine that such vaccination is cost-effective.

- Sewerage workers

In the United States, no work-related outbreaks of hepatitis A have been reported among workers exposed to sewage.

- Health-care workers

Health-care workers are not at increased risk for hepatitis A. If a patient with hepatitis A is admitted to the hospital, routine infection control precautions will prevent transmission to hospital staff.

- Children under 2 years of age

Because of the limited experience with hepatitis A vaccination among children under 2 years of age, the vaccine is not currently licensed for this age-group.

- Day-care attendees

The frequency of outbreaks of hepatitis A is not high enough in this setting to warrant routine hepatitis A vaccination. In some communities, however, day-care centers play a role in sustaining community-wide outbreaks. In this situation, consideration should be given to adding hepatitis A vaccine to the prevention plan for children and staff in the involved center(s).