Basic precautions can go a long way toward preventing infection with viral hepatitis.

People at high risk for hepatitis A can receive a vaccination for this form of hepatitis. The vaccine is administered in two doses, six to 18 months apart, and is recommended for the following individuals:

• People living or traveling in areas with high rates of hepatitis A, including Africa, Asia, certain parts of the Caribbean, Central America, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, Mexico and South America.
  
  
• Men who have sex with other men.
  
  
• Drug users (including those who inject and those who do not).
  
  
• People with clotting-factor disorders such as hemophilia.
  
  
• People with chronic liver disease.
  
  
• Children over the age of 2 who live in areas that had high rates of hepatitis A between 1987 and 1997. In the United States, risk has traditionally been higher in the West, Southwest and Alaska.
  
  
• Children over the age of 2 and workers at day care facilities during reported outbreaks of the virus.
  
  
• Military personnel.
  
  
• Food handlers.

There are several other ways to protect against hepatitis A. People at risk can get an immune globulin (IG) shot, which contains antibodies to the virus. This offers short–term protection and is a good option for those traveling for less than four weeks in areas that have high levels of hepatitis A. Newborns may also be treated with an IG shot if the mother has symptoms of hepatitis A around the time of birth. This type of shot can help people for up to two weeks after they have been exposed to hepatitis A. It may be offered by public health authorities to people exposed to hepatitis A after eating at a restaurant where a food service worker had the virus.

People should also avoid drinking tap water in some countries where it is unsafe, and should wash hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing a diaper and before preparing and eating food.

Those who get hepatitis A once cannot become reinfected with the virus.

People at high risk for hepatitis B should get vaccinated for this form of hepatitis. In the United States, most states now require this vaccination in childhood, and many require prenatal screening for hepatitis B. The vaccine is administered in three doses over a six-month period. In some cases, people with end stage renal disease might require additional booster infection vaccinations to maintain the necessary level of immunization to fight hepatitis B. Vaccination is recommended for the following individuals:

• All children up to age 18
  
• People with sex partners who have chronic hepatitis B
  
• Men who have sex with other men
  
• Hemodialysis patients
  
• People recently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
  
• People with multiple sex partners
  
• People who use needles to inject themselves with drugs
  
• People who live with someone who has chronic hepatitis B
  
• People whose jobs expose them to human blood
  
• People living in areas, such as Asia and Africa, where hepatitis B is prevalent

There are other ways to protect against hepatitis B. These include using latex condoms during sex, which can lower – but not eliminate – the risk of contracting hepatitis B, and avoiding objects that have an infected person’s blood on them, such as toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers and washcloths.

People should use care when getting tattoos or body piercings, because tools infected with someone else’s blood can transmit the virus. Care should be taken when handling needles and other sharp objects (e.g., razors) used on infected patients.

Drug addicts should seek professional help to quit using intravenous (I.V.) drugs, because shared needles, syringes and other paraphernalia can transmit hepatitis B. 

Other ways to prevent contamination with hepatitis B include:

• Get an immune globulin (IG) shot. This type of injection can help people for up to two weeks after they have been exposed to hepatitis B.
  
  
• Get tested for hepatitis B during pregnancy. Women who find they are positive for the virus should make sure their child receives a hepatitis B IG shot and vaccine within 12 hours of birth. Mothers should also make sure their child receives the third and final vaccine at six months of age. According to the American Liver Foundation, these measures prevent 90 to 95 percent of transmission and provide life–long protection for the child.
  
  
• Do not donate blood, tissues or other organs if infected with hepatitis B.

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C or hepatitis D. However, vaccination for hepatitis B may prevent HDV infection. In addition, people who have hepatitis C should get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B.

There are several steps that people can take to avoid infection with hepatitis C or D. People should avoid objects that have an infected person’s blood on them, such as toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers and washcloths. Latex condoms should be used during sex, because they can lower – but not eliminate – the risk of contracting hepatitis C or D.

Drug addicts should seek professional help to quit using I.V. drugs. Shared needles, syringes and other paraphernalia can transmit hepatitis C or D. 

There is also no vaccine for hepatitis E. To avoid the virus, people should refrain from drinking tap water and be careful about eating uncooked foods – particularly raw shellfish, and uncooked fruits or vegetables that are not peeled – when traveling internationally.