What Are The Pros And Cons of Getting A Hepatitis A Vaccine?

Hepatitis A certainly isn't the most dangerous member of the viral hepatitis family, but it's not something you want to welcome with open arms — or an open mouth, as they case may be — either. Thankfully, a vaccine is available to protect you against hepatitis A. What are its pros and cons?

What is hepatitis A?

"Hepatitis" is an umbrella term that refers to inflammation of the liver that can result from rather a few different causes, among which are different types of viral forms of hepatitis. The hepatitis A virus is less serious than some other kinds, usually clearing from the body within a few months. It doesn't usually require anything but supportive treatment, in the form of resting up, using antihistamines to stop the associated itching, and adjusting your diet to minimize nausea and vomiting. No cure exists.

Who is at risk of contracting hepatitis A?

Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A is mainly spread through contact with an infected person's stool. This means that people living in areas with poor sanitation and no access to safe drinking water have a higher risk of contracting hepatitis A, as well as those who have sexual relations with infected people — or those who engage in risky sexual relations in general. 

Considering that hepatitis A is transmitted through feces, risky activities include those you wouldn't normally consider if you live in a developed country:

• Eating unboiled food prepared with unsanitary water or by someone who failed to practice proper hand hygiene.
• Touching your lips or any part of your mouth with hands that were previously exposed to contaminated surfaces. 
• Drinking unsafe tap water — including, crucially, in the form of ice cubes. 
• Direct contact with someone who has the virus, whether as a caregiver or sexually.

Travelers represent another important risk group. When are you at risk of contracting hepatitis A? A better question might be when you're not — the US Centers for Disease Control deems all areas as either high or moderately risky, with the exception of "Canada, western Europe and Scandinavia, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia." That means that people either living in or traveling to pretty much most of the world are at risk of contracting hepatitis A. 

Thankfully, there's a vaccine for hepatitis A

There is a safe and effective vaccine to protect you against hepatitis A. It is not on the standard immunization schedule in all developed nations, however, so you may or may not have had it. Great Britain's immunization schedule doesn't include the hepatitis A vaccine by default, for instance, while it is included in the CDC's vaccination schedule for the US. 

If you haven't been immunized against hepatitis A or are not sure, ask your doctor about being vaccinated now — particularly if you are in a group that's more vulnerable, for instance because you're about to travel the world.

What are the pros and cons of a hepatitis A vaccine?

The pros of the hepatitis A vaccine are few but potent:

• The vaccine is both safe — with the potential to cause some short-term side effects like headache, fever, and a sore arm for a few days — and effective. 
• Once you have had two doses, you will be protected against hepatitis A, and thus also from its potential complications. 
• Not being able to contract hepatitis A also means you will not be able to spread it to others. 

There are also some cons:

• If you are ill at the moment, you need to wait until you recover before receiving a hepatitis A vaccine. 
• In rare cases, serious allergic reactions can occur, or the person can suffer long-term side effects like shoulder pain that won't go away. 
• If you live in a developed nation, aren't traveling anywhere, and are not in close contact with people who have hepatitis A, your risk of contracting the virus is low. You may reasonably disease that you do not need this vaccine. Discuss this with your doctor.

Then, depending on where you live and what your circumstances are like, there are other factors to consider — like, potentially, the cost of the vaccine, a fear of needles, and the like. In cases where you'll be in countries where hepatitis A is prevalent or you have other risk factors, however, the benefits of receiving this protective shot far outweigh the potential risks on the whole. 

If you are concerned about the safety of the shot because you have had allergic reactions in the past or are immunocompromised, please discuss these worries with your primary care provider and make decisions about whether you need the hepatitis A shot together with them.