- From age 5 in NSWThe minimum age for a pharmacist to give either hepatitis vaccine
- A course, not one visitFull protection takes 2 or 3 doses spread over several months
- Every dose recordedAdded to the Australian Immunisation Register so your course is easy to track
Two viruses, two routes of infection
Hepatitis A passes from the faeces of an infected person into food or water, or through close contact. NSW Health says it is not common in Australia and that most people pick it up while travelling overseas. Almost everyone recovers completely. When symptoms do appear, usually about four weeks after contact, they include tiredness, nausea, fever and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Hepatitis B travels in blood and body fluids, including through sex and shared needles, razors or toothbrushes. Some people never clear it, and chronic hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure. Many people with a new infection notice no symptoms at all.
Who should consider vaccination
Beyond travellers, the Handbook lists people whose work, health or circumstances raise their risk. A few examples:
- for hepatitis A: early childhood educators, plumbers and sewage workers, and people with chronic liver disease
- for hepatitis B: healthcare workers, police and emergency services staff, tattooists and body piercers, and household or sexual contacts of someone with the virus
Travellers from 1 year of age are advised to have hepatitis A vaccine before visiting places where the disease is common. Hepatitis B protection is recommended for long or frequent trips to regions of intermediate or high endemicity, or where planned activities raise the risk. Our travel vaccinations page covers the rest of a pre-trip plan.
Hepatitis A and B vaccine schedules
- Hepatitis A alone: one dose gives protective antibody levels, and a second 6 to 12 months later extends how long protection lasts.
- Hepatitis B alone: adults usually have three doses, at 0, 1 and 6 months.
- Both together: a combination hepatitis vaccine suits people who are immune to neither, and is usually given as three doses.
Short on time before a trip? Travellers aged 16 and over can have the combined vaccine on a rapid schedule set out in the Handbook, with a final dose about a year later for long-term protection.
Free doses and catch-up
Hepatitis B is part of the infant schedule, and people under 20 who missed it can have a free catch-up vaccination. Most Australian children born since 2000 have already been vaccinated. Adults outside the funded groups pay for the vaccine, so ring (02) 4930 4442 for the current cost.
Hepatitis vaccine questions
How do I know whether I am already immune?
Start with your immunisation history in myGov. For some groups, the Handbook recommends testing for previous hepatitis B infection before vaccination, which your GP can arrange with a blood test.
Can I have these vaccines while pregnant?
In the Department of Health's words, both hepatitis vaccines are not generally recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Pregnant and at risk? Your GP or obstetrician is the first stop.
What side effects are common?
Common reactions include a sore, red or swollen arm and a mild fever. After hepatitis B vaccine, a small lump at the injection site occasionally lasts several weeks and needs no treatment.
Other vaccines are listed on our vaccinations hub.
Start your hepatitis course
Come to 193 Cessnock Road, Abermain, Monday to Friday during store hours. Bring your vaccination history so the pharmacist can see where you are up to. If you started a course somewhere else, say which doses you have already had.