Hepatitis A and B Vaccination in Patong, Phuket: Travel and Long-Stay Protection
Single-shot Havrix or Vaqta for hepatitis A, three-dose Engerix-B for hepatitis B, and combined Twinrix for travellers who need both. Standard and accelerated last-minute schedules, vaccination cards and ICVP-ready records. Clinically reviewed by the Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team.
WhatsApp now, book your shot today | Call +66 81 718 9080 | Find the clinic on Google Maps
Hepatitis A and B are two of the most common preventable infections we see in travellers and long-stay residents in Phuket. Hepatitis A circulates widely through restaurant food, raw seafood, salads and tap-water ice, while hepatitis B sits in the background of any unplanned medical procedure, tattoo, sexual encounter or sharps injury. Both are entirely avoidable with a short vaccine course, and we run same-day vaccination with vaccination cards issued on the spot.
Hepatitis A: who needs it and how the vaccine works
Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), a small picornavirus that spreads by the faecal-oral route, almost always through contaminated food, water, ice or unwashed hands. Thailand is classified as an intermediate to high-endemicity region by the WHO, and shellfish, salads, street-food fruit and tap-water ice are the usual culprits. The illness produces an acute hepatitis with fever, fatigue, nausea, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and right upper-quadrant pain, lasting four to twelve weeks. Hepatitis A never becomes chronic, but it can knock a healthy traveller off work for weeks, and rarely causes fulminant liver failure in older adults or anyone with pre-existing liver disease. The inactivated vaccines we use, Havrix and Vaqta, are given as a two-dose intramuscular course at month zero and six to twelve months. A single first dose is already around 95 percent protective by four weeks, which is why it is worth getting one shot even the day before flying. After two doses, protection is expected to last for life and routine boosters are not recommended. The CDC and WHO recommend hepatitis A vaccine for all travellers to Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, anyone with chronic liver disease, and certain occupational groups such as childcare staff, sewage workers and laboratory personnel. Thailand has added hepatitis A to its national immunisation schedule for children from twelve months. For known exposures, such as a household contact or a food-handler outbreak, the same vaccine given within two weeks works as post-exposure prophylaxis, with immunoglobulin added for higher-risk contacts.
Hepatitis B: a smaller daily risk, a much bigger long-term one
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a hepadnavirus carried in blood and body fluids. It transmits through unprotected sex, shared needles, tattoos and piercings with poorly sterilised equipment, needlestick injuries in healthcare settings, and from mother to baby at birth. Acute hepatitis B looks similar to hepatitis A clinically, but the important difference is that around five to ten percent of adults who catch it become chronic carriers, and chronic hepatitis B is the leading global cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). Much of Asia, including Thailand, remains an intermediate to high-prevalence area for chronic HBV, which is why universal newborn vaccination has been Thai national policy for decades. The recombinant vaccines we stock, Engerix-B and Recombivax HB, are given as three intramuscular doses at zero, one and six months and produce protective antibody levels in more than ninety percent of healthy adults. For travellers who cannot wait six months, an accelerated four-dose schedule of 0, 7, 21 days and a 12-month booster is licensed and works well. Older adults, people on dialysis and the immunocompromised respond less reliably, and we sometimes use a double-dose formulation or check anti-HBs antibody levels four to eight weeks after the final shot to confirm protection (an anti-HBs titre of 10 mIU per mL or above is the accepted threshold). Most responders have lifelong protection, and routine boosters are not recommended outside specific occupational and dialysis settings. The vaccine is recommended for all travellers to intermediate or high-prevalence regions, healthcare and emergency workers, sex workers, men who have sex with men, people with multiple partners, people who inject drugs, household contacts of anyone HBV-positive, and patients with HIV, hepatitis C, chronic liver disease or end-stage renal disease. For known acute exposures such as a needlestick from a hepatitis B positive source or unprotected sex with a known carrier, hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) plus vaccine within 24 hours is highly protective.
Combined Twinrix for travellers who need both
For most travellers and expats coming to live in Phuket, the practical answer is the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine, Twinrix. It uses the same three-visit schedule as hepatitis B alone (months 0, 1 and 6), so you cover both viruses without extra appointments. For last-minute travel, Twinrix is also licensed in an accelerated four-dose schedule of days 0, 7, 21 and a 12-month booster, which produces useful protection against both viruses within a month. The combined product is the most cost-effective option when neither virus has been covered previously, and we issue a single vaccination card that records all doses so onward travel and ICVP entry are straightforward.
Schedules at a glance
| Vaccine | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | Catch-up or accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A (Havrix, Vaqta) | Day 0 | 6 to 12 months | Not needed | One dose gives ~95% protection at 4 weeks. Second dose can be given any time after. |
| Hepatitis B (Engerix-B, Recombivax HB) | Day 0 | 1 month | 6 months | Accelerated: days 0, 7, 21 plus 12-month booster for last-minute travel. |
| Combined A and B (Twinrix) | Day 0 | 1 month | 6 months | Accelerated 4-dose: days 0, 7, 21 plus 12-month booster. |
| Post-exposure prophylaxis | HAV: vaccine within 14 days. HBV: vaccine plus HBIG within 24 hours. | Continue standard schedule. | Continue standard schedule. | Same-day clinic review needed. Bring source-patient details if known. |
Special populations
Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines are inactivated or recombinant products with no live virus, so they are considered safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding when the benefit of protection outweighs the small theoretical risk. We routinely vaccinate pregnant travellers who are heading into higher-risk environments or who have an acute exposure. Egg allergy is not a concern for either vaccine. Immunocompromised patients, including those with HIV, on chemotherapy, or on dialysis, may respond less well and should have post-vaccination anti-HBs testing four to eight weeks after the final hepatitis B dose, with a repeat course or double dose offered if antibodies are below 10 mIU per mL. Children from twelve months can receive hepatitis A, and newborns receive their first hepatitis B dose at birth under the Thai national programme. Travellers who have completed primary courses in childhood usually need no further doses, only documentation.
When to see a doctor
Vaccination is most useful before exposure, but a same-day visit also matters if something has already happened: a needlestick injury, unprotected sex with a partner of unknown hepatitis B status, a tattoo or piercing in a non-sterile setting, or shared injecting equipment. Post-exposure prophylaxis is time-critical: hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus vaccine should be given within 24 hours and certainly within 7 days for the best protection, while hepatitis A post-exposure vaccine works within 14 days of exposure. If you develop jaundice (yellow skin or eyes), persistent right upper-quadrant pain, dark urine, pale stools or unexplained fatigue and nausea after travel or a known exposure, please come in for hepatitis serology rather than self-monitoring at home.
Needlestick, sharps or bite injury with possible blood-to-blood contact. Unprotected sex with a known or possible hepatitis B positive partner. Tattoo, piercing or cosmetic procedure with visibly reused equipment. Shared injecting equipment. New jaundice, dark urine, pale stools or right upper-quadrant pain. Suspected anaphylaxis after a previous vaccine dose (rash, swelling of lips or tongue, wheeze, collapse): bring the vaccine card and we will assess before any further dose. Pregnancy with a known acute hepatitis exposure. Post-exposure prophylaxis works only inside a narrow time window, so the same-day call is the right one.
You are unsure whether you were vaccinated in childhood, whether your course is complete, or whether your antibody level is still protective. We can review your records, run anti-HBs and anti-HAV serology, and finish or restart the course as needed. WhatsApp +66 95 073 5550 for a same-day appointment or hotel-room visit.
Prevention and early self-care
Vaccination is the main preventive measure for both viruses, but day-to-day habits still matter while a course is being completed. For hepatitis A, the standard food and water rules apply: drink bottled or properly filtered water, avoid tap-water ice in informal stalls, peel fruit yourself, be cautious with raw shellfish and undercooked seafood, and wash hands before eating. For hepatitis B, the practical points are barrier contraception with new partners, avoiding tattoos and piercings at venues that cannot show sterile single-use equipment, and asking about needle and instrument sterilisation if you need medical or dental care. Healthcare and emergency workers should always know their hepatitis B antibody status before posting overseas. If a sharps injury happens, wash the site under running water without scrubbing, encourage gentle bleeding, and come straight in.
Summary
Hepatitis A and B vaccination is one of the highest-value medical decisions any traveller or long-stay resident in Phuket can make. The pathway is simple: one shot of hepatitis A vaccine gives strong protection within four weeks, three shots of hepatitis B over six months give lifelong protection in most healthy adults, and Twinrix covers both on the same visits when neither has been done. For last-minute trips, accelerated schedules deliver protection in three to four weeks. Vaccination cards, ICVP entries and serology follow-up are all routine parts of the visit.
“Most acute hepatitis A we see in Phuket is in unvaccinated travellers who ate at a busy local restaurant and assumed the food looked fine. One injection, four weeks before the flight, would have prevented every case.”
Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team
Frequently asked questions
How long does the protection last after a full course?
After two doses of hepatitis A vaccine, protection is expected to last for life and no routine boosters are recommended. After three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, more than ninety percent of healthy adults develop protective antibody and protection is also considered lifelong in responders. Boosters are only routinely advised for specific groups such as dialysis patients and some healthcare workers, where antibody levels are checked periodically.
I am flying in a week. Is there an accelerated schedule that works?
Yes. A single dose of hepatitis A vaccine is already around 95 percent protective by four weeks, and there is good evidence of meaningful protection within two weeks, so even one shot before departure is worth having. For hepatitis B and Twinrix, the licensed accelerated schedule is days 0, 7, 21 plus a 12-month booster, which produces useful protection within a month. Walk in or message us on WhatsApp and we will start the same day.
Can children and infants receive these vaccines?
Yes. Hepatitis A vaccine is licensed from twelve months of age and is part of the Thai national childhood programme. Hepatitis B vaccine is given to newborns within 24 hours of birth under the same programme. Children travelling from abroad can complete or top up either course at the clinic, and we use paediatric formulations and weight-appropriate doses.
Is vaccination safe in pregnancy?
Both vaccines are inactivated or recombinant, with no live virus, and are considered safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding when the benefit outweighs the theoretical risk. We commonly vaccinate pregnant travellers heading to higher-risk regions or anyone with an acute exposure. We will go through the timing and any individual considerations before the first shot.
Do I need an antibody test after the course?
Routine post-vaccination testing is not needed for most healthy adults. We do recommend an anti-HBs titre four to eight weeks after the final hepatitis B dose for healthcare workers, dialysis patients, people living with HIV and infants of hepatitis B positive mothers. An anti-HBs result of 10 mIU per mL or above confirms protection. If the titre is lower, we offer a repeat dose or a full second course.
How much do the vaccines cost and is it covered by travel insurance?
Prices vary by brand and whether single or combined product is used. We will quote the full course at the first visit, and any single dose can be paid for separately. Travel insurance usually covers post-exposure vaccination for needlestick or other acute exposures as an emergency medical claim, while routine pre-travel vaccination is typically self-pay. We provide itemised English-language receipts and a clinical letter suitable for insurance claims.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (Yellow Book, Travelers’ Health). wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/hepatitis-a.
World Health Organization. Hepatitis B vaccines: WHO position paper, July 2017. who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer9227.
World Health Organization. Hepatitis A vaccines: WHO position paper, October 2022. who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer9740.
Book your hepatitis A or B shot now
WhatsApp: same-day vaccination
Call +66 81 718 9080 to speak to a doctor
Find Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic on Google Maps
Hepatitis A vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, Havrix, Vaqta, Engerix-B, Recombivax HB, Twinrix, combined hepatitis A and B vaccine, accelerated schedule, 0-7-21 day schedule, post-exposure prophylaxis, hepatitis B immunoglobulin, HBIG, anti-HBs serology, seroconversion, faecal-oral transmission, bloodborne transmission, jaundice, acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, travel vaccination, expatriate health, healthcare worker vaccination, needlestick injury, sex worker health, men who have sex with men, MSM, people who inject drugs, dialysis, HIV co-infection, pregnancy vaccination, Thai EPI schedule, WHO position paper, CDC Yellow Book, ICVP, Patong, Kalim, Kamala, Karon, Phuket, hotel doctor visit, walk-in clinic, Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic.