Children between the ages of one to two years who were immunized against hepatitis A went up in the United States, and the rate of hepatitis A reached a record low after new vaccination recommendations were given a few years back, according to a federal report.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease that is contagious and could cause mild illness lasting for a few weeks or severe cases lasting several months.

The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, in 2006, suggested routine hepatitis A vaccination for all kids from 12-23 months in all categories and locations. The recommendation was given after the minimum age for the vaccine was lowewerd to 12 months from the previous 24 months.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reseachers analyzed data, in a new study, from eight Immunization Information Systems sentinel sites across the US and found the average hepatitis A vaccination coverage for one does for an infant increased from 17 percent in 2006 to 47 percent in 2009. The average full vaccination with two doses for infants increased from 1 percent to 15 percent last year.

The increase in vaccinations was the highest in 2006 and the first quarter of 2007, but the rate of increase then slowed and covered peaked, according to researchers.

The occurrence of hepatitis A in the US reached a low in 2007, which is the most recent year with data available.

In the report, the researchers wrote that “immunization programs and vaccine providers should encourage children to receive hepatitis A vaccine, beginning at age 12 months. Reminder/recall notification and school or child-care entry vaccination requirements might contribute to increased vaccination coverage. Continued monitoring is needed to assess the trend in completion of the hepatitis A vaccine series among children."