Hepatitis A Vaccine

The hepatitis A vaccine is designed to be utilized before a hepatitis exposure, preventing the virus from causing the disease. The virus can be spread by close contact, though the virus can also get into food and water, which allows anyone that consumes it to contract the illness. Some people who engage in risky behaviors should routinely receive the hepatitis A vaccine, such as men who engage in fluid exchange with other men and people who use street drugs. People who have chronic liver disease should also receive the vaccine routinely.

There are two different types of hepatitis A vaccines. The first contains virus that is inactive, the other contains live virus that has been attenuated. Both types of vaccine work to stimulate an active immunity against future infections by the virus, but neither actually works to fight hepatitis A if the virus is already present in the body. The goal is to prepare the body for a potential future attack. <\/p>