Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.
Hepatitis A vaccines (Havrix, Vaqta) protect against the hepatitis A virus, which causes liver inflammation. Recommended for all children at age 1 and for adults at risk, this vaccine has an excellent safety profile with over 48,000 VAERS reports since the 1990s.
The following symptoms are most frequently reported after hepatitis A vaccination:
Very common (occurring in >10% of recipients):
Common (1-10%):
Rare:
Both Havrix (GSK) and Vaqta (Merck) are inactivated hepatitis A vaccines with similar efficacy and safety profiles. There is also Twinrix, a combination hepatitis A + B vaccine. All are given as a 2-dose series, with the second dose 6-18 months after the first.
Hepatitis A vaccines are among the better-tolerated vaccines. The relatively low number of VAERS reports compared to the hundreds of millions of doses administered reflects a favorable safety profile. Natural hepatitis A infection, by contrast, causes weeks of illness and can be fatal in older adults and people with chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis A vaccination is routine for children at age 1 and for at-risk adults. See where it fits on the CDC vaccine schedule, review our 2026 vaccine schedule analysis, and compare with pediatric VAERS patterns.
As of mid-2026, the hepatitis A vaccine continues to be monitored through VAERS and complementary surveillance systems including the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. No new safety signals have been identified in recent data that would change the established safety profile of this vaccine.
The HHS administration's announced development of AI-powered VAERS analysis tools may provide additional insights into hepatitis A vaccine adverse event patterns. These tools aim to detect subtle signals that traditional statistical methods might miss, though their implementation timeline and methodology remain under development.
It's worth noting that VAERS reporting for routine vaccines like hepatitis A has remained stable through the post-pandemic period. While COVID-19 vaccine reports surged and then declined, reporting patterns for established childhood and adult vaccines have been remarkably consistent, suggesting that the VAERS system continues to function as designed for ongoing safety surveillance.
When interpreting VAERS data for hepatitis A vaccines, several key principles apply:
VAERS data is most useful as a starting point for conversation with your healthcare provider, not as a basis for medical decisions. If you're concerned about hepatitis A vaccine side effects:
For the most up-to-date safety information, consult the CDC's vaccine information pages or speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
As of mid-2026, the hepatitis A vaccine continues to be monitored through VAERS and complementary surveillance systems including the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. No new safety signals have been identified in recent data that would change the established safety profile of this vaccine.
The HHS administration's announced development of AI-powered VAERS analysis tools may provide additional insights into hepatitis A vaccine adverse event patterns. These tools aim to detect subtle signals that traditional statistical methods might miss, though their implementation timeline and methodology remain under development.
It's worth noting that VAERS reporting for routine vaccines like hepatitis A has remained stable through the post-pandemic period. While COVID-19 vaccine reports surged and then declined, reporting patterns for established childhood and adult vaccines have been remarkably consistent, suggesting that the VAERS system continues to function as designed for ongoing safety surveillance.
When interpreting VAERS data for hepatitis A vaccines, several key principles apply:
VAERS data is most useful as a starting point for conversation with your healthcare provider, not as a basis for medical decisions. If you're concerned about hepatitis A vaccine side effects:
For the most up-to-date safety information, consult the CDC's vaccine information pages or speak with a qualified healthcare professional.