In October, the expert panel that makes vaccine recommendations and policy for adults and children in the United States decided to recommend Hepatitis A vaccine for all children in the United States. For several years it has been recommended in states with the highest rates of Hepatitis A. The vaccine has been very successful in those states, and now it will become part of the recommended standard vaccine series in children.
Hepatitis A tends to be a mild disease in children and more serious in adults. It spreads easily and rapidly in daycare centers and schools. In 1995, the first vaccine was licensed, and in 1999 routine use was recommended in 11 states. The vaccine is also given to those travelling overseas, where hepatitis A is more common.
Given the low rate of side effects and the effectiveness of the vaccine in the 11 states where it is currently given to all children, the panel decided to make the recommendation effective across the whole country.
