Hepatitis A

About the vaccine

Did you know?

If you have been potentially exposed to hepatitis A, you should get one shot of vaccine within 14 days of the exposure to prevent disease. This is provided free.

The hepatitis A vaccine is free and recommended for all aboriginal individuals 6 months to 18 years of age, and all adults with medical, occupational, or lifestyle risks. It is also recommended, but not provided free for people likely to come in contact with or spread the hepatitis A virus.

If you do not qualify for the free vaccine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about purchasing the vaccine. 

Vaccines are very safe. It's much safer to get the vaccine than to get Hepatitis A disease.

Who should get vaccinated?

  • Aboriginal individuals 6 months to 18 years of age
  • People with chronic liver disease
  • People who have blood clotting-factor disorders, such as haemophilia
  • Men who have sex with men
  • Users of injection and non-injection illegal drugs
  • People working with HAV in a research laboratory
  • Travelers visiting countries where hepatitis A is common

For more information about the vaccine, who should get it, the benefits and possible reactions, go to the Hepatits A Vaccine healthfile.

About the disease

  • Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver, caused by the hepatitis A virus
  • Symptoms can be so mild that a person may not be aware that they have the disease. This happens more often in children
  • Symptoms include yellow skin or eyes, loss of appetite, fever, tiredness, stomach ache, or nausea
  • For every 1000 people infected, 1 to 3 will die. The death rate is higher in people 50 years of age and older
  • People with hepatitis A infection who use the bathroom without proper hand washing can pass the virus on to others through food preparation or other hand-to-mouth contact
  • The disease can also be spread by sexual contact, or sharing of equipment for drug use, such as needles or pipes
  • Hepatitis A can also be spread by drinking contaminated water, or by eating raw or under-cooked shellfish, such as crabs, clams, oysters or mussels, that have been contaminated with sewage

Photo courtesy of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. More vaccine preventable disease images