Hepatitis a vaccine in children, this is the benefit and the schedule & bull; hello healthy

Immunization in children is very important to prevent transmission of the disease from an early age. There are also many types of immunizations that must be given to your little one, one of which is the hepatitis A vaccine. How important is this vaccine? Should it still be given even after immunizing against hepatitis B? Here's the explanation.

What is the hepatitis A vaccine?

Hepatitis A immunization is a way to prevent infection with the virus that causes hepatitis A (HAV). Hepatitis A is a disease caused by a highly contagious viral infection. The HAV virus infects the liver acutely, causing inflammation.

How is it different from hepatitis B? Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, hepatitis B is transmitted through body fluids, such as blood, saliva, sperm, or vaginal fluids. Mothers who have hepatitis B will infect the baby in their womb.

Meanwhile, in hepatitis A, the spread can easily be transmitted through consumption of food and drink, sexual intercourse with sufferers, or exposure to feces that already contain the hepatitis A virus.

Unclean and healthy living behaviors such as rarely washing hands or living in an unhygienic environment can also be a risk factor for a person to develop hepatitis A.

Adults infected with the hepatitis A virus will usually experience a number of health problems such as feeling tired, fever, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice (jaundice).

On the other hand, children generally do not show symptoms when exposed to hepatitis A virus infection. However, they still become carrier or carriers that can transmit the virus. This condition is even more dangerous because it is not detected.

Therefore, giving hepatitis A immunization does not only have a positive impact on personal health. But it can also eradicate disease outbreaks that are detrimental to many people.

How does the hepatitis A vaccine work?

Quoting from WHO, there are two types of vaccines that can be used to prevent hepatitis A virus infection.

First, Live attenuated vaccines, specifically given to stop the hepatitis A outbreaks in India and China, and the inactivated HAV vaccine (formaldehyde-inactivated vaccines), which is commonly used in various other countries.

For adults, there is usually a combination vaccine that can simultaneously fight hepatitis A and B viral infections. In each administration, the dose of hepatitis A immunization for children aged 1 to 15 years is 0.5 ml.

In adults, hepatitis A vaccine is also given twice with a span of 6 months after the first vaccination. The dose given is 1 ml for each vaccine administration.

However, for people who have health conditions with high immunity, getting one dose of vaccine is effective enough to ward off hepatitis A virus infection.

Who needs the hepatitis A vaccine?

Even though prevention strategies through hepatitis A immunization have been intensively carried out by the government or the WHO international health agency, a group of people is still at risk of contracting this disease.

Babies and children

Based on the immunization schedule from the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), children need two injections of the hepatitis A vaccine with an interval of 6-12 months.

Hepatitis A immunization can be done since your little one is 24 months or two years old to 18 years. For example, the pauses in giving are as follows:

24 months of age for first injection
Age 3 years for the second injection

Hepatitis A immunization can be given to infants starting at 6 months if they are traveling to places that have high cases of hepatitis A.

Adults

In a study published by Frontline Medical Communications, it shows that adults are included in the group of people who are susceptible to exposure to the hepatitis A virus.

This leaves the hepatitis A vaccine still needed to contain the epidemic. Here are some of the conditions:

Will be traveling to a place that has had an outbreak of hepatitis A (hepatitis A vaccine should be given 2-4 weeks before departure)
Returning from a place affected by the hepatitis A epidemic
Have chronic liver disease
Living with a person infected with the hepatitis A virus
Underwent medication that uses needles
Using illegal drugs
Work on hepatitis A virus research
Caring for or interacting with infected primates

What about pregnant and breastfeeding women? Is it safe to do the hepatitis A vaccine? Quoting from Mother to Baby, pregnant and breastfeeding women can still get hepatitis A immunization.

This vaccine does not have a negative impact on the breastfeeding process and does not cause miscarriage in pregnant women.

Who should not be given the hepatitis A vaccine?

The benefit of immunization is that it is one of the ways to prevent the spread and transmission of hepatitis A. However, there are several conditions that make a person have to delay, even not be given a vaccine.

Have a life-threatening allergy

Have a chronic, life-threatening allergic reaction. Usually an allergic reaction will appear after getting the hepatitis A vaccine. Therefore, first ask a health worker what components are contained in the vaccine.

Mild pain

Usually you can still get the hepatitis A vaccine if you have a cold cough or feel unwell. However, if you have a severe illness, such as a high fever, you can postpone the vaccine until you are one hundred percent recovered.

What are the side effects of the hepatitis A vaccine?

Like other drugs, vaccines also have side effects, although they are generally mild. According to WHO, hepatitis A immunization generally works effectively without causing significant side effects, but the possibility of a dangerous reaction remains.

Reporting from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are side effects of immunization that may occur.

Mild side effects are common

Usually hepatitis A immunization only causes mild side effects that are not dangerous, such as:

Redness in the injection area
Mild fever
Headache
Fatigue

The above conditions usually arise immediately after the immunization is complete and will go away on their own 1-2 days. The doctor will explain this reaction in more detail during the consultation.

Very rare serious side effects

Vaccines can trigger serious allergic reactions, although they are very rare. The likelihood ratio is 1 in 1 million doses of the vaccine given, but this reaction can last as little as a few minutes after the vaccine is given.

The reactions that arise are:

Swelling of the face
The body shivered
Difficulty breathing
The heart beats fast

Also, some people may pass out after having the vaccine. To fix this, lie down for 15 minutes after immunizing hepatitis A.

This method can help prevent fainting and injury from falls. Tell your doctor if you experience dizziness, blurred vision, or ringing in your ears.

However, the thing to remember is that the side effects of children who are not immunized or children who are late in immunization are greater than those who received vaccines. So, it is important for parents to provide prevention so that their little one does not contract and spread dangerous diseases.