Hepatitis A vaccine highly effective

Hepatitis A outbreaks in all age groups could be prevented if children are routinely vaccinated against it.Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver cells either due to a viral infection of the liver or injury caused by a chemical toxin. Infection by Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the common in children and the virus is excreted in the stools of infected individuals. The infection is acquired when someone eats food that is contaminated with HAV-infected stool. the virus passes into the body. It spreads easily in unsanitary living conditions through contaminated water, milk and food. The illness is usually characterized by transient, flu-like symptoms and jaundice, and recovery is the norm in most cases. Persons living in the same household as an infected person have a high risk of infection. Infection in children may be asymptomatic, but they can be very efficient transmitters of the disease to adults. A study was conducted among nearly 44,982 children aged 2 to 17 years in Butte County, California from January 1995 to December 2000. They reported that of these children, about 29,789 (66.2%) received at least 1 vaccine dose and of these about 17,681 (39.3%) received a second dose. The number of hepatitis A cases in the US population declined by 93.5% during the study period, from 57 cases in 1995 to 4 in 2000, the lowest number of cases reported since hepatitis A surveillance began. In this population, hepatitis A vaccine was highly effective in preventing disease among recipients.Childhood vaccination decreases hepatitis A incidence among children and adults. Hepatitis A vaccinations made available to children in schools, clinics and day care centres can reduce the number of hepatitis A cases suggesting that routine vaccination of children may be highly effective in preventing the disease. Routine vaccination of children can reduce overall disease rates in the community, and vaccination should be offered as a routine to all people who can afford it.