If you are going to visit countries where hepatitis A is common, we recommend that you have a vaccination. You will receive one injection four to six weeks before you travel and a booster six to twelve months later. Your doctor will be able to give you advice about vaccinations.
If you have been in close contact with an infected person or are travelling at late notice, short-term protection, lasting three to six months, is available; this is an injection of antibodies called immunoglobulin.
We recommend you get vaccinated if you:
-
are visiting countries where hepatitis A is common
-
are an injecting drug user
-
are a gay man (or your sexual behaviour may put you at risk)
-
are at risk through your work (for example, if you come into contact with sewage)
-
already have long-term liver disease (infection with hepatitis A in someone who already has liver disease can cause a more serious illness).
Not everyone needs to be vaccinated. Some people have antibodies from a previous infection that they may not have known they had. Your doctor can check this with a blood test.
You can avoid infection with hepatitis A by:
-
visiting your doctor or travel clinic for a vaccination four to six weeks before you travel to a high-risk area
-
not having ice cubes in your drinks, drinking tap water, eating ice cream or cleaning your teeth in tap water in countries where hepatitis A is common
-
not eating poorly-cooked shellfish, uncooked vegetables, salads, unpeeled fruit or unpasteurised milk in high-risk countries.
If you are worried that you may have hepatitis A, you must contact your doctor.