Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a virus that inflames the liver. It spreads through food or water contaminated by the faeces of an infected person, and through close contact. It causes fever, nausea, stomach pain and jaundice that can last for weeks, and in older adults it can be serious. It is the travel vaccine most people need, because the risk is about where you eat rather than what you do.

Where the risk is

Hepatitis A occurs worldwide, but the risk is highest where sanitation is poor: the Indian subcontinent, sub-Saharan and North Africa, parts of South East Asia, Central and South America, and the Middle East. Visiting friends and family, eating street food and staying in rural areas all raise it.

The vaccine

The first dose gives good protection within two to four weeks and covers a trip on its own. A second dose six to twelve months later extends that protection for at least twenty-five years, so the course is worth completing even after you are home. A combined vaccine with hepatitis B is available if you need both, and is usually the better value.

Free on the NHS?

Hepatitis A vaccine is often available free from your GP surgery for travel. Ask them first; if they cannot fit you in before you go, we can.

Reducing the risk while you are away

• Drink bottled or boiled water, and avoid ice unless you know how it was made.
• Eat food that is freshly cooked and served hot.
• Be cautious with salad, unpeeled fruit and shellfish.
• Wash your hands before eating and after using the toilet.

Not sure whether you need this one? Book the travel consultation instead and the pharmacist will go through your trip with you.