Prevention of Hepatitis A Through Active or Passive Immunization

Introduction

Until recently, the primary methods used for preventing hepatitis A have been hygienic measures and passive immunization with immune globulin (IG) to provide short-term preexposure or postexposure protection ⁽¹⁾. The ability to grow hepatitis A virus (HAV) in cell culture has resulted in the development of vaccines that prevent HAV infection following preexposure immunization ^(2-4). For the individual, active immunization can provide long-term protection against HAV infection; from a public health perspective, active immunization provides the means to effectively control this disease. The similarities between the epidemiology of hepatitis A and poliomyelitis suggest that widespread vaccination of appropriate susceptible populations can substantially lower disease incidence, eliminate virus transmission, and, ultimately, eradicate HAV infection.