Hepatitis A vaccination in children under 2 remains effective for 10 years

Vaccination against the hepatitis A virus (HAV) in children two years of age and younger remains effective for at least 10 years, according to new research available in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The study found that any transfer of the mother’s HAV antibodies does not lower the child’s immune response to the vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.4 million cases of HAV occur worldwide each year. HAV affects the liver and typically occurs in areas with poor sanitation where ingestion of contaminated food or water can transmit the virus. In the U.S., HAV cases have decreased by 90 percent in the past 20 years, with roughly 20,000 new cases reported each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Experts attribute the decline in HAV cases in the U.S. to routine...