Hepatitis A Outbreaks: What You Should Know

Widespread outbreaks of hepatitis A are occurring across the United States. Vaccinating people at risk can stop the spread. For Hepatitis Awareness Month, learn more about hepatitis A and the current outbreaks.

When hearing about hepatitis A, many people think of contaminated food or water. That is one way the virus can spread and a common way international travelers get infected. However, most people don’t know that in the United States, hepatitis A is more commonly spread from person to person, which is how people are getting infected in the current outbreaks. While hepatitis A can affect anyone, certain groups are at greater risk of being infected in these outbreaks. To help stop the outbreaks, CDC recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for people who use drugs (including drugs that are not injected), people experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men, people with liver disease, and people who are or were recently in jail or prison.