The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced that the “Recommended Immunization Schedule” included in the recently issued “2015 Children’s Health Handbook” had misprinted the interval for the 2 dose hepatitis A vaccine series to be “6 weeks” instead of the correct interval, which is “6 months”. Although children will not receive the vaccine until reaching one year of age, Taiwan CDC has notified all local health bureaus in the nation of the misprint on October 30, 2015 and sought their assistance in reminding all physicians and parents who have received the misprinted 2015 Children’s Health Handbook in their districts about the correct interval. In addition, Taiwan CDC is in the process of printing the corrected recommended immunization schedule and copies of which will be distributed to all local health bureaus to facilitate on-time immunization.

Hepatitis A virus infection is usually transmitted by the fecal-oral route. It is particularly common in countries with poor sanitary and hygienic conditions. Nevertheless, environmental health in Taiwan has drastically improved over the years. People aged below 40 who are not immune to hepatitis A are more susceptible to hepatitis A virus infection after ingesting contaminated food or water or having sexual contacts with infected individuals. The incubation period ranges from 15 to 50 days. Symptoms include fever, general fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Days after infection, jaundice may develop. Most cases recover on their own and people who have hepatitis A infection become immune for the rest of their life.

Taiwan CDC states that hepatitis A vaccination is the most effective way to prevent hepatitis A. The 2-dose HepA vaccine series spaced 6 to 12 months lasts for over 20 years. Currently, the government-funded hepatitis A vaccine targets children living in 30 mountainous townships, 9 townships adjacent to the mountainous township, Kinmen County and Lianjiang County. Parents are reminded the hepatitis A vaccine can be administered to children reaching 12 months of age simultaneously at different sites with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, and the 5-in-1 vaccine, which is also known as the DTaP/IPV/Hib (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)) vaccine in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of children. For individuals who have not already received the HepA vaccine series, 2 doses of self-paid HepA vaccine separated by 6 to 12 months may be administered after careful evaluation by a physician to lower the risk of contracting the disease. For more information, please visit the local health bureau where your permanent residence was registered, check the Taiwan CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw, or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922).