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Do Vaccines Cause Hepatitis?

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The Clinician’s Vaccine Safety Resource Guide

Abstract

Natural infection with hepatitis viruses is known to cause hepatitis disease. Natural infection with measles, mumps, rubella and varicella viruses have also been associated with hepatitis, albeit rarely. Thus, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccines, and especially hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines, prevent hepatitis disease by protecting against natural infection. Vaccines currently routinely recommended to the general population in the U.S. do not cause hepatitis when administered to immunocompetent persons. Varicella is a live virus vaccine that is contraindicated for most patients with underlying immune deficiencies. If the vaccine is mistakenly administered to severely immune deficient individuals, it can cause hepatitis as well as other complications. Patients with chronic hepatic diseases such as chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection can and should receive all routine vaccinations as recommended by the ACIP. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines are specifically recommended for such individuals to protect them from these natural infections leading to more severe disease.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    These conclusions do not necessarily consider vaccines recommended only for special populations in the United States such as Yellow Fever vaccine (international travelers) or Smallpox vaccine (military personnel).

References

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  3. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, Hamborsky J, Kroger A, Wolfe S, eds. 2015, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Washington D.C.

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Dudley, M.Z. et al. (2018). Do Vaccines Cause Hepatitis?. In: The Clinician’s Vaccine Safety Resource Guide. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94694-8_38

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94694-8_38

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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