Vaccine Information
Vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent disease. Vaccines are available for protection against hepatitis A and hepatitis B. However, there is no vaccine available for hepatitis C.
Hepatitis A.Hepatitis A vaccination is a two or three dose vaccination series. The following people are recommended to receive Hepatitis A vaccination:
- All children at age 1 year (i.e., 12–23 months)
- Children and adolescents ages 2–18 who live in states or communities where routine Hepatitis A vaccination has been implemented because of high disease incidence; before 2006, when Hepatitis A vaccination was first recommended for all children at age 1 year, vaccination had been targeted to children living in states or communities that had historically high rates of Hepatitis A
- Persons traveling to or working in countries that have high or intermediate rates of Hepatitis A (see Hepatitis A and International Travel for more information)
- Men who have sex with men
- Users of illegal injection and non-injection drugs
- Persons who have occupational risk for infection including persons who work with HAV-infected primates or with HAV in a research laboratory setting should be vaccinated
- Persons who have chronic liver disease
- Persons who have clotting-factor disorders
- Household members and other close personal contacts of adopted children newly arriving from countries with high or intermediate rates of hepatitis A
More information on hepatitis A vaccine is available at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Hepatitis A
or Immunization Action Coalition - Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B.Hepatitis B vaccination is a usually a three-dose vaccine series. The hepatitis B vaccine maybe given in combination with vaccines for other diseases. The following groups are recommended to receive hepatitis B vaccination:
- All infants, beginning at birth
- All children aged <19 years who have not been vaccinated previously
- Susceptible sex partners of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive persons
- Sexually active persons who are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship (e.g., >1 sex partner during the previous 6 months)
- Persons seeking evaluation or treatment for a sexually transmitted disease
- Men who have sex with men
- Injection drug users
- Susceptible household contacts of HBsAg-positive persons
- Health care and public safety workers at risk for exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids
- Persons with end-stage renal disease, including predialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home dialysis patients
- Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
- Persons with chronic liver disease
- Persons with HIV infection
- Unvaccinated adults with diabetes mellitus who are aged 19 through 59 years (discretion of clinicians for unvaccinated adults with diabetes mellitus who are aged ≥60 years)
- All other persons seeking protection from HBV infection — acknowledgment of a specific risk factor is not a requirement for vaccination
More information on hepatitis B vaccine is available at CDC - Hepatitis Bor Immunization Action Coalition - Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. Individuals at risk for hepatitis C and those who have chronic hepatitis C should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B to avoid further liver damage. There may be additional vaccines recommended for infected individuals, more information is available at
Immunization Action Coalition.
Find a health care provider that provides hepatitis vaccine in your area at (Get Tested Widget) or if you need more information about North Dakota immunization requirements or have hepatitis immunization record requests, please visit www.ndhealth.gov/Immunize/Public/.