Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health declared a hepatitis A outbreak after seeing a sustained increase in clinical cases of hepatitis A and elevated virus levels in local wastewater. At least 165 hepatitis A cases were confirmed in LA County since the beginning of 2024—3 times the number of cases reported in all of 2023. What’s concerning is that among the 29 hepatitis A cases confirmed to date in 2025, most have occurred among people without known travel or housing risk factors. Vaccination is recommended for those at-risk, including residents who are not already vaccinated; people experiencing homelessness; and people who use injectable drugs. In addition to vaccination, the county health officer also suggested thorough handwashing, especially before eating and preparing food and after using the bathroom.
Protective measures: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations state that the 2-dose hepatitis A vaccine is suggested for children 12–23 months old as part of routine childhood vaccination. Adults who are unsure of their vaccination status can be vaccinated regardless. There are separate vaccines for hepatitis B as well as a combination 3-dose hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine that protects against both viruses, but there is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. Hepatitis A vaccine administration information for providers is available on the CDC website.
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