Around 50,000 more hepatitis A vaccines have arrived in the Czech Republic, allowing more people to get vaccinated amid the ongoing epidemic. Doctors have recommended vaccination, especially for high-risk groups, but earlier shortages made access difficult. The Health Ministry says another 125,000 doses should arrive by January.
Since the start of the year, 2,880 people have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, twenty times more than last year and the highest number since 1984. Thirty-one people have died. Prague is the hardest hit, accounting for more than 40% of cases.
Czechia is facing its largest hepatitis A outbreak in decades, and infections are now appearing beyond the capital. The virus is spreading mainly through person-to-person contact rather than a single contaminated source.
Adults in their 30s and 40s are most affected, while those over 65 often have immunity from the major epidemic in the 1970s.
About one-fifth of cases involve people engaged in high-risk behaviours, including drug use or homelessness.
Germany and Poland have issued travel advisories, and Czech authorities are urging strict hand hygiene and vaccination, especially in crowded settings such as public transport and Christmas markets.
Prague has intensified cleaning of trams and metro stations and launched an information campaign.
Experts expect further spread due to the virus’s long incubation period, holiday travel and undetected cases.
The number of asymptomatic infections is likely similar to the number of confirmed cases. With new vaccine shipments arriving, authorities hope to keep up with rising demand and prepare for increased need next year.
05.12.2025.
SOURCE
Radio Prague International
