Health Information Portal (HIP)

Hepatitis A

Topic	Priority Priority Alert Conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention. Advisory Provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action. Notification Provides information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action. Update Provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action.	Date of Alert
Hepatitis A Increases among At-Risk Persons in Philadelphia: Recommendations for Prevention and Control through Vaccination	Alert	Feb 20, 2024
Hepatitis A in Philadelphia: Updates on Recent Increases and the National Frozen Strawberry Recall	Alert	Jun 26, 2023
Hepatitis A Increases among At-Risk Persons in Philadelphia	Alert	Mar 28, 2023
Hepatitis A Increases among At-Risk Persons in Philadelphia: Recommendations for Prevention and Control through Vaccination	Alert	Aug 6, 2021
Public Health Emergency Update: Hepatitis A Outbreak among At-Risk People in Philadelphia	Alert	Jan 9, 2020

Surveillance

Hepatitis A outbreaks are ongoing in Philadelphia and several U.S. states. The majority of cases are among persons who use drugs and those who are living homeless, but cases are also occurring among persons with no known risk factors.

National and State Hepatitis A Surveillance Updates: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and CDC

Vaccine Information

• Offer HAV vaccine at every opportunity to patients most at-risk for HAV vaccination or serious complications from HAV including:
  • People who use injection or non-injection drugs
  • People experiencing homelessness or unstable housing
  • People who are or were recently incarcerated
  • Men who have sex with men (MSM)
  • People with chronic liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C)
  • People with HIV (New Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Recommendation)
• Vaccine information:
  • One dose of single-antigen HAV vaccine leads to a protective response in 95% of healthy individuals for up to 11 years. Two doses given at least 6 months apart provide long-lasting immunity.
  • Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR) providers should continue to order HAV vaccine through the PhilaVax inventory module. If your facility does not have HAV vaccine, please encourage patients to visit a pharmacy if they have insurance. Patients should call ahead to make sure that the pharmacy has HAV vaccine.
  • Hepatitis A vaccination clinic locations are available here.
  • If you have questions about accessing vaccine for adults, contact the Immunization Program at vaccines@phila.gov.
• Recommend HAV control and prevention measures for cases:
  • Offer VAC vaccine to susceptible, close contacts of cases (e.g. household members, sex partners, persons who shared drugs with the case). Guidance for use of post-exposure vaccine is available here.
  • Advise HAV cases to take other steps to prevent transmission, such as hand washing, avoiding food preparation for others, condom use, and harm reduction practices while contagious (1 week after jaundice onset or if no jaundice, 2 weeks after illness onset).

Diagnosis & Management

• Acute HAV infection is confirmed during the acute or early convalescent phase of infection by the presence of anti-HAV IgM in serum. Clinicians who suspect acute HAV infection should also order liver function tests.
• There is no treatment other than supportive care.
• Case Reporting: Promptly report acute HAV cases to PDPH by calling 215-685-6740 (after-hours: call 215-686-4514).

Resources

For Healthcare Providers:

• Hepatitis A Recommendations:
  • CDC Prevention of Hepatitis A Through Active or Passive Immunization [MMWR, May 19, 2006 / 55 (RR07): 1-23]
  • CDC Update: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis and for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for International Travel [MMWR, November 2, 2018 / 67(43): 1216-1220]

For Patients and Community Members:

Posters:

There are no posters for Hepatitis A.