Global & Disaster Medicine

Widespread outbreaks of hepatitis A across the United States

CDC

Since March 2017, CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has been assisting multiple state and local health departments with hepatitis A outbreaks, spread through person-to-person contact.

The hepatitis A vaccine is the best way to prevent HAV infection

  • The following groups are at highest risk for acquiring HAV infection or developing serious complications from HAV infection in these outbreaks and should be offered the hepatitis A vaccine in order to prevent or control an outbreak:
    • People who use drugs (injection or non-injection)
    • People experiencing unstable housing or homelessness
    • Men who have sex with men (MSM)
    • People who are currently or were recently incarcerated
    • People with chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C
      • One dose of single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine has been shown to control outbreaks of hepatitis A and provides up to 95% seroprotection in healthy individuals for up to 11 years.1,2
      • Pre-vaccination serologic testing is not required to administer hepatitis A vaccine. Vaccinations should not be postponed if vaccination history cannot be obtained or records are unavailable.

      CDC has provided outbreak-specific considerations for hepatitis A vaccine administration.

State-Reported Hepatitis A Outbreak Cases as of June 21, 2019

Data illustrated in this map can be found in the table found directly below

 

 


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