1. Affected Individual – Person who had hepatitis A at any age

DEFER:

• For 6 months from the date of complete recovery

SEE IF RELEVANT

• TRAVEL

 2. Current sexual partner of the donor has or had hepatitis A

DEFER:

• For 4 months from the date of complete recovery of their current sexual partner

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

3. Former sexual partner of the donor had hepatitis A at the time of the sexual contact

DEFER:

• For 4 months from the date of the last sexual contact

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

4. Current household contact of the donor has or had hepatitis A

DEFER

• For 4 months from the date of complete recovery of their household contact
• For 4 months from the date of complete recovery of the last affected person (if more than 1 person in the household had hepatitis A)

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

5. Former household contact of the donor had hepatitis A at that time

DEFER:

• For 4 months from the date of last household contact

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

6. Any other current contact with a person who has or had hepatitis A (e.g. the donor is a teacher whose pupil/s have hepatitis A

DEFER:

• For 4 months form the date of complete recovery of the last affected contact

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

7. Any other former contact with a person who has or had hepatitis A (e.g. the donor visited a hours where a person had hepatitis A)

DEFER:

• For 4 months from the date of the last contact

Deferral applies even if the donor was vaccinated against hepatitis A

8. Immunisation /Vaccination

8.1 Post –exposure vaccination

Donor had active immunisation for hepatitis A, i.e. vaccination and/or immunoglobulin after a known exposure to hepatitis A

DEFER

• For 4 months after vaccination

NOTES

A longer deferral period may be required if the exposure is continuing

 8.2 Routine vaccination

Donor had no known exposure to hepatitis A

ACCEPT

• If the donor is well

SEE IF RELEVANT

• TRAVEL

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hepatitis A is spread by the faecal-oral route and by sewage-contaminated food and water. It can also be spread sexually. Infection may be symptom free but can be serious and occasionally fatal. There is no long term infection with the virus but there are many reports of transmission by transfusion, when the donor donated before they became acutely unwell. The IBTS does not test for this virus

Because hepatitis A is spread by the faecal-oral route and by sexual contact, household contacts and sexual partners may become infected. Deferring donors who have been in contact with people who have hepatitis A, for 4 months thereafter, allows enough time to elapse for the donors to develop hepatitis A, if they were to contract the illness

Hepatitis A immunisation is advised before travel to parts of the world where other infections relevant to donating such as malaria are common. Although normal immunoglobulin given prophylactically prior to going abroad does not in itself merit deferral, the country visited may do so (See IBTS/MED/GDE/0007). The donor should be asked about any relevant travel history

Hepatitis A vaccination may be combined with Hepatitis B vaccination. However, vaccination is not always 100% effective, as some people do not respond to it. This is why, we do not depend on vaccination, to protect the donor from acquiring hepatitis A infection