title: Prevention of hepatitis A by Havrix: a review.
abstract: Hepatitis A is one of the most common vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in the world. With at least 1.5 million cases of hepatitis A worldwide each year, disease management constitutes a substantial economic burden. The first effective vaccine against hepatitis A, Havrix was introduced in 1992. This review summarizes data accumulated following more than a decade of clinical experience with this vaccine and compares clinical data with other currently available hepatitis A vaccines. Based on this data and on the current immunological knowledge, a recent consensus concluded that hepatitis A vaccines induce lifelong protection, and thus booster vaccinations against hepatitis A are unnecessary in fully immunized, healthy people. In view of this, current regulatory recommendations for the use of hepatitis A vaccines are reviewed and possible future strategies identified.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium. koen.vanherck@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Herck
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Damme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D017957:Hepatitis A Virus, Human / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated