Havrix

Pain/redness/swelling at the injection site, fever, tiredness, headache, nausea, and loss of appetite may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your health care professional promptly.

Rarely, some people have symptoms such as fainting, dizziness, vision changes, or ringing in the ears just after getting a vaccine injection. Tell your health care professional right away if you have any of these symptoms. Sitting or lying down may help, since these symptoms usually don't last long.

Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your health care professional has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: seizures.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your health care professional.

Contact the health care professional for medical advice about side effects. The following numbers do not provide medical advice, but in the US you may report side effects to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) at 1-800-822-7967. In Canada, you may call the Vaccine Safety Section at Public Health Agency of Canada at 1-866-844-0018.

Before getting hepatitis A vaccine, tell your health care professional if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients (such as neomycin, formalin, latex in some vials/prefilled syringes), which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your health care professional for more details.

Before receiving this vaccine, tell your health care professional your medical history, especially of: current illness with fever.

If you have immune system disorders (such as due to HIV infection, certain cancers such as leukemia/lymphoma, cancer or radiation treatment), your body may not make enough antibodies to protect you from hepatitis A infection. Antibody levels should be checked after the vaccine series.

During pregnancy, this vaccine should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your health care professional.

It is unknown if this vaccine passes into breast milk. Consult your health care professional before breast-feeding.

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your health care professional. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.

Some products that may interact with this vaccine include: drugs that weaken the immune system (including cyclosporine, tacrolimus, cancer chemotherapy, corticosteroids such as prednisone).

Other vaccines may be given at the same time as hepatitis A vaccine, but should be given with separate syringes and at different injection sites.

Not applicable.

As with any vaccine, this vaccine may not fully protect everyone who receives it.

Hepatitis A spreads very easily, often through contaminated food or water, infected food handlers, sexual contact with an infected individual, eating raw shellfish from contaminated water, poor sanitary conditions, and rarely by blood transfusions or sharing needles with actively infected people.

Keep vaccine records for yourself and all of your children, and after your children are grown provide their records to them and their health care professionals. This will prevent unnecessary re-vaccinations.

It is important to receive each vaccination as scheduled. Be sure to ask when each dose should be received and make a note on a calendar to help you remember.

Store in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.