Avaxim 80/Avaxim 160 Special Precautions

Advise the patient to talk to a doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric/AVAXIM 160 U.
If the patient has a weakened immune system due to: Corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs, radiotherapy, or other treatments likely to weaken the immune system. The doctor may wait until treatment is over; Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or any other diseases that weakens the immune system. It is recommended that the vaccine be administered although it may not protect the patient as well as it would in a person with a normal immune system.
If the patient has a liver disease.
If the patient has haemophilia or is easily subjected to bruises or bleeding.
Fainting can occur (mostly in adolescents) following, or even before, any needle injection. Therefore, advise the patient to inform the doctor or nurse if the patient fainted with a previous injection.
This vaccine will not protect the patient against other viruses known to infect the liver (such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or hepatitis E viruses).
If the patient is already infected by the hepatitis A virus at the time of the administration of AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric/AVAXIM 160 U, the vaccination may not work properly.
The vaccine cannot cause the infections against which it protects.
As with all vaccines, not all people who receive AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric/AVAXIM 160 U will definitely be protected against hepatitis A.
AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric and AVAXIM 160 U contains ethanol, phenylalanine, potassium and sodium: AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric and AVAXIM 160 U contains 2 mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each 0.5 mL dose. The small amount of alcohol in this medicine will not have any noticeable effects. AVAXIM 80 U Pediatric and AVAXIM 160 U contains 10 micrograms of phenylalanine in each 0.5 ml dose, which is equivalent to 0.17 micrograms/kg for a 60 kg person. Phenylalanine may be harmful if the patient has phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body cannot remove it properly.
Avaxim 80: The amount per dose of this medicine is equivalent to less than 0.1 ml of beer or less than 0.1 ml of wine.
AVAXIM 80 U PEDIATRIC contains less than 1 mmol (39 mg) of potassium and less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per dose, that is to say it is essentially "potassium free" and "sodium free".
Driving and using machines: This vaccine is unlikely to have any effects on the ability to drive or to use machines. However, no studies on this topic were performed.
Avaxim 160: Use in Children: Not applicable.