Avaxim 160 Special Precautions

As with all injectable vaccines, available appropriate medical treatment and subject monitoring are recommended in case of an anaphylactic reaction after vaccine administration.
AVAXIM 160 U has not been studied in patients with impaired immunity.
Syncope (fainting) can occur following, or even before, any vaccination as a psychogenic response to the needle injection, especially in adolescents. This may be accompanied by several neurological signs such as transient sight disorders, paraesthesia and tonic-clonic limb movements during the recovery phase. It is important that procedures be in place to avoid any injury from faints.
Immunosuppressive treatment or immunodeficiency may induce a decrease in the immune response to the vaccine.
It is then recommended to wait until the end of treatment before vaccinating or to make sure the subject is well protected. Nevertheless, vaccination of subjects with chronic immunodeficiency such as HIV infection is recommended even though the antibody response might be limited.
Because of the incubation period of hepatitis A, infection may already be present, although asymptomatic, at the time of vaccination. The effect of administering AVAXIM 160 U during the incubation period of hepatitis A has not been documented. In such a case, vaccination may have no effect on the development of hepatitis A.
The use of this vaccine in subjects with liver disease should be considered with caution, as no studies have been performed in such subjects.
As with all vaccines, a protective immune response may not be obtained in all vaccinees.
The vaccine does not protect against infection caused by hepatitis B, hepatitis C or hepatitis E viruses, or by other known liver pathogens.
AVAXIM 160 U contains ethanol, phenylalanine, potassium and sodium: AVAXIM 160 U contains 2 mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each 0.5 mL dose. The small amount of alcohol in this medicinal product will not have any noticeable effects.
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 for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body cannot remove it properly.
AVAXIM 160 U contains less than 1 mmol potassium (39 mg) and less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say essentially "potassium-free" and "sodium-free".
Traceability: In order to improve the traceability of biological medicinal products, the name and the batch number of the administered product should be clearly recorded.
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: The effects on the ability to drive and use machines have not been studied.