Question

Joe is a 28 year old accountant who traveled to Bangkok for a two-month visit two years ago. As part of his preparations for that trip he received a dose of hepatitis A vaccine. He has received only a Tdap booster for a finger laceration since his return. He is now planning a trip to Beijing and seeks your advice regarding hepatitis A vaccination. What do you recommend? a) He should receive a double dose of hepatitis A vaccine prior to his departure. b) He should receive a half dose of hepatitis A vaccine now and another dose in 6 months. c) He should start the hepatitis A series over and receive a dose now and another dose in 6 months. d) He should receive a dose of hepatitis A vaccine now to complete the series.

Answer 1

Option D. Joe should receive a dose of the hepatitis A vaccine now to complete the series. This is suitable because the hepatitis A booster can be provided years after the initial dose. Contrary to Hepatitis B, there is no required timeline for the completion of Hepatitis A vaccination.

Step-by-step explanation:

Joe, who is 28 years old and received a dose of the hepatitis A vaccine two years ago, seeks advice on hepatitis A vaccination for his upcoming trip to Beijing. Based on his past vaccination, Joe should receive a dose of the hepatitis A vaccine now to complete the series.

Unlike Hepatitis B, which may require restarting the vaccination series in some cases, the Hepatitis A vaccine booster can be administered even years after the initial dose.

It's important that he is protected, as hepatitis A is generally transmitted through the fecal-oral route, close personal contact, or exposure to contaminated water or food, which can be common situations experienced while traveling. The Tdap booster he received for his finger laceration wouldn't protect him against this.

Learn more about Hepatitis A Vaccine