Czech Republic Hepatitis A outbreak may last another one or two years: Health expert
2,141 cases and 26 deaths
In a follow-up on the hepatitis A epidemic in the Czech Republic in 2025, the outbreak that started last April in isolated areas of Ostrava, has grown to 2,141 cases and 26 deaths, ten of them in Prague.
This compares to last year when 676 people fell ill in the Czech Republic and two died.
This outbreak, the largest in decades, has prompted debate among experts about who should be eligible for free vaccines.
“The State Institute of Health proposes vaccinating preschool children. However, I assume that we will also discuss the most at-risk group of people, which are patients with chronic liver diseases. They are the ones who die from hepatitis A most often, so they should be entitled to vaccination covered by public health insurance,” says Matyáš Fošum, deputy chief hygienist and director of the Public Health Protection Department of the Ministry of Health.
According to him, it is not ruled out that both groups, i.e. younger children and adults with liver diseases, could receive the vaccines. “There are more proposals, we will see what the expert groups agree on.”
“If we decided to include the hepatitis A vaccine in the children’s vaccination calendar, the ministry would have to issue a new decree and agree with vaccine manufacturers on higher supplies,” Fošum stated.
“Over 112,000 people have been vaccinated this year, which is more than double the number last year,” says Fošum.
According to experts, hepatitis A spreads easily in our country because most people do not have antibodies. They had nowhere to get infected, because almost half a century has passed since the last major epidemic, associated with the import of contaminated Polish strawberries in 1979. About 30,000 people fell ill then. In 1989, there were over 2,600 infected, but this year there will probably be more.
“At least a quarter of this year’s infected people are children. Although they usually have a milder or even asymptomatic course of infection, they spread the virus. That’s why I’m in favor of widespread vaccination especially in children,” says epidemiologist Kateřina Fabiánová.
The most infected are among socially disadvantaged people who live in excluded localities with inadequate hygiene conditions. These are often homeless people, alcoholics or drug addicts. They have nothing to pay for the vaccine. “Insurance companies contribute to vaccination from prevention funds. However, many seniors or families with multiple children are deterred by the price of vaccines. That is why I support paid vaccination for selected groups of people,” says Pavel Dlouhý, head of the infectious diseases department in Ústí nad Labem and chairman of the Czech Society of Infectious Medicine.
According to Kateřina Fabiánová, the hepatitis A epidemic is not over yet. “Past experience shows that it can last at least another year or two,” says the epidemiologist.