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Hepatitis A vaccine indications in adults and children
Adults
In adults, the inactivated hepatitis A vaccine comes in injections of 50 units per mL (Vaqta) or 1440 ELISA units per mL (Havrix). It is recommended for any individual who is at risk for infection with the hepatitis A virus.
When 2 doses of the vaccine are used, the starting dose is given as an intramuscular 1mL injection. As noted above, the primary dose should be administered 2 weeks before the encounter or exposure to the hepatitis A virus. After the primary dose, the booster dose should be given after 6 months. The booster dose could be delayed up to 12 months if you’re receiving Havrix vaccines or up to 18 months if you received a Vaqta vaccine. Additional to this, immunocompromised people also need immune globulins.
Post-exposure prophylaxis is also possible for Hepatitis A with this type of vaccine. In this case, an intramuscular dose of 1 mL is usually enough. The second dose is not required unless the individual needs long-term immunity (for example, people who frequently visit endemic places). As a part of post-exposure prophylaxis, patients aged 40 years and older should be additionally given immunoglobulins.
