Hepatitis A: risk assessment for close contacts who are food handlers

Did the food handler close contact receive hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days or less from exposure?

Yes, they received the hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days or less from exposure.

No further action is required.

Is the close contact considered immune to hepatitis A infection?

If they did not receive the hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of exposure, find out if the close contact is considered 'immune'.

Close contacts are considered immune to hepatitis A infection if they have any of the following.

  • A reliable history or evidence of a complete course of hepatitis A vaccine in the past 10 years (for example, two monovalent doses or equivalent).
  • A reliable history or evidence of one dose of monovalent vaccine (or equivalent) within the past 12 months.
  • A reliable history of hepatitis A infection or previous laboratory-confirmed hepatitis A (previous anti-HAV IgG positive, or HAV RNA positive).

No additional action is required as the contact is immune.

Is the contact at higher risk of infection due to their interaction with the index case?

The contact is at higher risk of infection if the:

  • index case is a child less aged 5 years old or younger
  • index case regularly cooked for the contact
  • index case had poor personal hygiene or diarrhoea
  • contact had sex with index case

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.

Does the contact prepare or handle ready-to-eat-food which will not have a further cooking step?

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.

Transfer contact to duties which do not involve preparing or handling ready-to-eat-food (which will not have a further cooking step) until 30 days post-exposure.

Exclusion should only be considered if effective hygiene cannot be achieved.

Reinforce hygiene within the workplace.

Last updated: 15 May 2025
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