CDC Updates Hep A Protection Guidelines

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Hepatitis Vaccines Work Group conducted a systematic review of evidence for the administration of vaccine for postexposure prophylaxis to individuals 40 years old and older and reviewed hepatitis A vaccine efficacy and safety in infants, as well as the benefits of protection before international travel.

Among the recommendations:

For postexposure protection, patients aged 1 year and older should receive the hepatitis A vaccine. Patients aged 40 years and older may also receive immune globulin, based on a clinician’s risk assessment.

For preexposure protection during international travel, infants aged 6 to 11 months should be vaccinated when traveling to hepatitis A-endemic regions. This should not count toward the 2-dose series that begins at 12 months.

“This report updates and supersedes previous ACIP recommendations for HepA vaccine for PEP and for international travel,” they wrote.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Update: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine for postexposure prophylaxis and for preexposure prophylaxis for international travel. Weekly. 2018;67(43):1216–1220.