An outbreak of Hepatitis A in Barry, Wales, has led to 11 confirmed cases since December 2025, with health officials urging parents of young children to vaccinate. Free vaccines are being offered at Barry Hospital between Tuesday, August 18, and Saturday, August 22, 2026.
Vaccination drive targets under-fives
Parents of children under the age of five in the Barry area are being urged to take up the offer of Hepatitis A vaccines for their child. The virus is spreading in the community, according to Public Health Wales, and no single source has been identified yet.
Eligible people will receive a letter or text from Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The vaccination is offered to children five or under who live in Barry or attend a childcare setting in the town.
Nine symptoms to watch for
While there are nine symptoms to look out for, Hepatitis A can be present in young children without any signs. According to the NHS, the symptoms are: high temperature, flu-like symptoms (such as tiredness, headache, and muscle pains), feeling sick or being sick, pain in the upper tummy, diarrhoea or constipation, pale yellow or pale grey poo, dark brown pee, itchy skin (there may also be a raised rash), and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), which may be harder to see on brown and black skin.
"Most children, and some adults, may have mild symptoms or no symptoms," the NHS says.
Spread and prevention
"The easiest place for it to spread from is from young children under the age of six, and so if we can vaccinate that age group, that will prevent the transmission from those children and stop the spread," said Dr Chris Williams, a consultant epidemiologist at Public Health Wales.
Hepatitis A is a liver infection that is spread in the faeces of an infected person. It is more common in other parts of the world than it is in the UK. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there are approximately 400 cases of hepatitis A in the UK each year. In 2024, there was a considerable outbreak with more than 800 cases. This dropped to just 95 cases in 2025.
