Vaccine Choice Canada Hepatitis A - Disease & Vaccine Information

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A causes temporary inflammation of the liver. It is transmitted when a person comes into contact with infected stools via improper food handling and hand washing. Hep A can also be passed through blood transfusions and the sharing of IV drug needles. Hep A is virtually harmless in children.

The Vaccine

The vaccine is made from a weakened Hep A virus strain grown in human embryo cells derived from a cell line that was developed in 1966 from lung tissue taken from a 14 week aborted fetus.
The strain is then de-activated with a form of formaldehyde.
Following deactivation, the material for the vaccine is combined with aluminum to stimulate the immune system.

Considerations for the Vaccine Decision

As the Hepatitis A disease is very mild in children; children receive no benefit from the protection provided by the vaccine.
Natural infection results in lifelong immunity without risking any potential side effects from the vaccine.
The argument for vaccinating children with Hep A is to protect adults where the disease can be more severe. This means our infants are being used to protect the potential effects in adults.
The aluminum used in the vaccine is a known neurotoxin.
As of May 31, 2023, there have been more than 49,420 reports of vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following hepatitis A vaccinations made to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, including 172 related deaths, 3,674 hospitalizations, and 1,019 related disabilities.[18]
A US HHS study acknowledged that less than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. [19]
For children, the risk of serious adverse effects from the Hep A vaccine far exceeds the risk of the disease.
The safety of the Hep A vaccine has not been proven against a true placebo.

For more information: https://www.nvic.org/disease-vaccine/hepatitis-a

References

[18] https://www.nvic.org/disease-vaccine/hepatitis-a/quick-facts

[19] Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System – https://digital.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-final-report-2011.pdf

Vaccine Product Monographs

Hepatitis A (for Indigenous children only)

Product: Avaxim-Pediatric (Sanofi)

Product Monograph: https://products.sanofi.ca/en/avaxim.pdf (18 pages)

Patient Information sheet: https://products.sanofi.ca/en/avaxim-pmi-en.pdf

Manufacturer website: https://www.sanofi.ca/en/products-and-resources/vaccines

Product: Havrix (GSK)

Product Monograph: https://ca.gsk.com/media/6243/havrix.pdf (24 pages)