Information for Vaccine Recipients and Parents or Guardians

Patients, parents or guardians should be informed by the healthcare provider of the potential benefits and risks of the vaccine. It is important that the vaccine recipient, parent or guardian be questioned concerning occurrence of any symptoms and/or signs of an adverse reaction after a previous dose of hepatitis A vaccine. The healthcare provider should inform the patients, parents or guardians about the potential for adverse events that have been temporally associated with administration of VAQTA. The patient, or parent or guardian accompanying the recipient, should be told to report severe or unusual adverse events to the physician or clinic where the vaccine was administered.

The patient, parent or guardian should be given the Vaccine Information Statements, which are required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 to be given prior to immunization. These materials are available free of charge at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov/nip). The United States Department of Health and Human Services has established a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to accept all reports of suspected adverse events after the administration of any vaccine, including but not limited to the reporting of events required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The VAERS toll-free number is 1-800-822-7967. Reporting forms may also be obtained at the VAERS website at www.vaers.org.

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