First Hepatitis A Vaccine OKd; Should Be Available in Weeks

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the nation’s first vaccine for hepatitis A, a viral liver infection that typically plagues international travelers but has also been found around day-care centers and even salad bars. Americans should be able to buy the new vaccine, called Havrix, within a few weeks, manufacturer SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals said this week. The vaccine is recommended for anyone at high risk of hepatitis, mostly international travelers, soldiers posted in developing countries and health care workers. It is administered in three doses. The wholesale cost for each dose will be $40, SmithKline said. Hepatitis A is highly contagious and afflicts between 100,000 and 150,000 Americans a year. It is spread through fecal-contaminated water or food, especially raw shellfish. It can also be spread by improper hand washing--for example, by infected restaurant workers handling raw food or day-care workers changing diapers. Sufferers typically exhibit flu-like symptoms, including diarrhea and vomiting, and occasionally jaundice, for about a month. Hepatitis A is the least severe type of hepatitis. Unlike other strains, it does not cause chronic infection or long-term liver problems, and only 1% of those who contract it suffer life-threatening complications.