A nurse is preparing an educational session on hepatitis vaccines for a group of adult patients. Which hepatitis infections should the nurse emphasize as preventable through vaccination?

Choice A rationale This statement is incorrect because currently available vaccines do not offer protection against all hepatitis viruses. Specifically, there is no widely available, routine vaccine for Hepatitis C (HCV), and the vaccine for Hepatitis E (HEV) is only approved in some countries outside of the United States. Vaccination is standard only for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Choice B rationale This is incorrect because Hepatitis E virus (HEV) vaccination is not part of the routine immunization schedule for adults in most of the world, including the United States, as the disease is typically acute and self-limiting. The emphasis in education should be on the two most common vaccine-preventable types, which are Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Choice C rationale This is incorrect as there is no vaccine available to prevent Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) can be indirectly prevented by receiving the Hepatitis B vaccine, as HDV only infects individuals who are already infected with HBV. However, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are the two types with direct, routine vaccines. Choice D rationale Hepatitis A (HAV) and Hepatitis B (HBV) are the two types of viral hepatitis for which safe and effective vaccines are routinely available and recommended for adults at risk. The HAV vaccine provides active immunity against the fecal-oral transmitted virus, and the HBV vaccine prevents infection from the blood-borne and sexually transmitted HBV, thus preventing subsequent HDV infection as well.