Hepatitis A Vaccine

Hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects your liver and is highly infectious. It’s spread when traces of faeces (poo) containing the virus contaminate hands, water, food or objects.

Anyone can be infected with Hepatitis A if you ingest food, water or touch an object or person that is infected¹.

Hepatitis A is common in developing countries where there is less access to clean water and sanitation, and outbreaks can occur in childcare centres as children under the age of five do not show any symptoms¹.

¹Better Health Victoria, Hepatitis A, accessed 2 February 2023

Many infected people, especially children under the age of five years old, show few or no symptoms. However, for adults and older children, some symptoms can include¹:

• Fever

• Nausea

• Abdominal discomfort and pain on the right side where your liver is

• Fatigue

• Joint and muscle pains

• Dark urine

• Yellow skin and eyes (known as jaundice)

¹Health Direct, Hepatitis A, accessed 2 February 2023

You can be diagnosed with Hepatitis A after you get a blood test from your doctor¹.

There is no medicine to treat Hepatitis A, but your doctor may recommend you get plenty of rest and fluids.

If you are an adult and diagnosed with Hepatitis A, it’s recommended that you should not drink any alcohol while you are diagnosed to protect your liver.

¹Health Direct, Hepatitis A, accessed 2 February 2023

Getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A is the most important action you can take to avoid getting it¹.

It’s also important to practise strict personal hygiene, such as washing your hands with soap and hot running water before handling food or going to the bathroom and boiling your drinking water if it comes from an untreated source, such as a river.

When you are travelling overseas, you can avoid getting Hepatitis A by being vaccinated before you leave the country and being careful with your selection of food. This includes only drinking bottled water with an unbroken seal, making sure you avoid eating shellfish or food from street vendors and avoiding raw food, such as fruit or salad that’s been prepared with contaminated water¹.

¹Better Health Victoria, Hepatitis A, accessed 2 February 2023

The Hepatitis A vaccine is administered by injection and is your best protection against Hepatitis A. Two doses are recommended for full immunisation.

Although the spread of Hepatitis A in most regions of Australia has dropped to low levels due to the supply of clean water, sewerage and improved hygiene, there is still a risk of catching it if you are unvaccinated¹.

¹Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Hepatitis A in Australia, accessed 2 February 2023

Some common side effects of the vaccine include¹:

• Pain, redness and swelling at the injection side

• Headaches

• Fever

¹Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, Hepatitis A vaccine, accessed 2 February 2023

The Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended from the age of 12 months, but the following people are high-risk and should consider vaccination¹:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia at the age of 18 months and 4 years of age

• Plumbers and sewage workers

• People who inject drugs

• People who live in correctional facilities

• People living with Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C

• People who work in early childhood education and care

• People who live or work in rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia

• People with developmental disabilities and their carers

• People with long-term liver disease

• People who have had a liver transplant

At Blooms The Chemist, this vaccine is only available in NSW. If you want to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and live in another state, please reach out to your local GP for more information.

¹Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Immunisation Handbook: Hepatitis A, accessed 2 February 2023

As part of the Australian Government’s National Immunisation Program (NIP), the Hepatitis A vaccine is free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from the age of 18 months and four years who live in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.

You can check here to see if you are eligible to receive a NIP funded vaccine.

If you are eligible for a vaccination under the National Immunisation Program (NIP), you may need to confirm with your selected Blooms The Chemist pharmacy about their NIP vaccine stock availability. Please note that there may be a service fee associated with a NIP vaccination.