The hepatitis A vaccine (Havrix) is an inactivatedpreparation that is produced by propagation of the virus incultured human diploid cells and then is inactivated withformalin. The antigen form is lysed whole viruses. Theantigen type is protein. The course of immunization involvestwo injections over a 4-week period and a booster12 months after the first injection. Indications are thefollowing:
? Persons traveling outside the United States, except toAustralia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and WesternEurope
? Persons with chronic liver disease
? Persons living in an outbreak zone
? Persons who inject medications
? Persons engaging in high-risk sexual activity
? Child care workers caring for children younger than 2years of age
? Developing countries with poor sanitation
Side effects are minor and usually limited to soreness atthe injection site and fever.
