Parents unaware of hepatitis A and how it is transmitted
Awareness* of hepatitis A as a disease that children should be vaccinated against is very low, despite the fact that it is a potentially serious and highly contagious disease. The survey revealed that almost half (43 percent) of U.S. parents are not aware of the critical health implications associated with hepatitis A, a disease that can cause severe complications of the liver and even death in rare cases. In fact, 40 percent are not aware that the disease can be fatal. Additionally, many parents do not know how the disease is transmitted, putting a large number of people at risk for infection.

"There has been a large public focus on hepatitis B and hepatitis C, but people need to be educated about hepatitis A. They need to know that it is a highly infectious liver disease contracted via the fecal-oral route," said Dr. Philip Rosenthal, professor of pediatrics and surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. "Most importantly, they need to understand that vaccination, particularly among children, is the most effective tool in preventing the spread of the disease."

Part of the confusion stems from misunderstanding between the different types of hepatitis. The survey results indicate that hepatitis A has the lowest awareness (55 percent) by parents as compared to hepatitis B (85 percent) or hepatitis C (62 percent). According to the ALF, parents need to be educated about hepatitis A and how the disease is transmitted because the highest incidence of cases occurs among children under 10 years of age. Even though infected children may not always display symptoms of the disease, they serve as a "reservoir" for the virus, easily passing it to adults who can develop severe symptoms, liver disease and even death in rare cases.

Parents confused over hepatitis A prevention
Although the hepatitis A vaccine is available for children over two, awareness* of the vaccine is also very low. Only three percent of parents mentioned hepatitis A when asked what diseases their children should be vaccinated against. Further, while nearly all parents surveyed (96 percent) believe diseases should be prevented through vaccinations if possible, less than half (46 percent) of those parents aware of hepatitis A know that a vaccine for the disease exists.

While awareness of hepatitis A is low and many parents do not know how it is transmitted or even that a vaccine exists to prevent it, statistics show that more than half of parents (52 percent) who are aware of hepatitis A are worried that their children may be at risk for contracting the disease. Physicians play a very influential role in educating parents about vaccine-preventable diseases. As indicated by these survey findings, over 90 percent of parents rely on their pediatrician to tell them what vaccinations their children need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that states with hepatitis A incidence rates that are at least two times greater than the national average implement routine hepatitis A vaccination programs for children. According to the survey findings, a majority (74 percent) of parents who are aware of the hepatitis A vaccine are in agreement with the CDC recommendations and believe that hepatitis A vaccination should be a state requirement for school-aged children.

"By effectively increasing awareness and understanding of this highly contagious liver disease, parents will be encouraged to vaccinate their children and themselves," said Alan P. Brownstein, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Liver Foundation. "As a result, we will see a decrease in the number of reported hepatitis A cases in the country."

About hepatitis A
hepatitis A, an infection of the liver, is spread via the fecal-oral route, through close personal contact, or the ingestion of contaminated water or food. Symptoms of the disease can be debilitating and include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort, jaundice and dark urine. Infected individuals can unknowingly infect others up to two weeks prior to feeling ill themselves. On average, people miss about 30 days of work when they are infected with the virus that causes hepatitis A. Up to 22 percent of adult hepatitis A patients require hospitalization and more than 100 people in this country die every year from consequences of the disease. hepatitis A is also a significant drain on the U.S. economy, costing more than three-hundred million dollars annually.

About the American Liver Foundation
The ALF is a leading national voluntary health agency dedicated to the prevention and cure of viral hepatitis and other liver diseases through research and education. The ALF's programs and services are supported by a nationwide network of chapters, including chapters in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. For additional information about hepatitis A or other forms of viral hepatitis and liver disease, contact the ALF at: 1-888-4HEP-ABC or visit www.liverfoundation.org.

Survey background
This survey, conducted by Ipsos-Reid, was completed using a telephone survey among parents with children under 18 years of age. Those surveyed included a total of 500 parents nationally, as well as 365 parents in Arizona and Texas. The survey was funded with a grant from GlaxoSmithKline.

* Answers provided by respondents were unaided.