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Published Date: 2019-08-22 17:09:52
Subject: PRO/EDR> Hepatitis A - USA (32): (MO) mandatory food handler vacc
Archive Number: 20190822.6635748
HEPATITIS A - USA (32): (MISSOURI) MANDATORY FOOD HANDLER VACCINATION
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Date: Wed 21 Aug 2019
Source: Forbes [edited]
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommytobin/2019/08/21/county-imposes-mandatory-hepatitis-a-vaccines-for-food-service-workers/#29976e8a3e2a
A Missouri county has imposed mandatory hepatitis A vaccinations for food handlers. Franklin County, Missouri, joins a handful of jurisdictions across the country with mandatory hepatitis A vaccine programs aimed at preventing further cases. This development is part of a larger trend aimed at expanding vaccinations for hepatitis A and addressing future outbreaks of the disease.
Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can cause symptoms ranging from fever to jaundice and, in extreme cases, liver failure and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is most commonly spread in the USA via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person unknowingly ingests something contaminated with the feces of an infected person.
Hepatitis A is a particularly insidious virus, as an infected person is most contagious 2 weeks before symptoms develop, and those symptoms can take as long as 50 days after exposure to develop. Fortunately, hepatitis A is preventable by vaccine.
CDC is investigating outbreaks of hepatitis A across 29 states. According to CDC, 233 individuals have died from hepatitis A between 2016 and 2019 out of over 24 000 reported cases. Several states, including Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, and West Virginia, have seen thousands of cases.
In an effort to curb the increase in reported cases of hepatitis A, many local jurisdictions are considering mandatory hepatitis A vaccines for food service workers. For example, Missouri has reported 387 cases of hepatitis A in the past 2 years. Over 50 of these cases are from Franklin County, which has a population of about 100 000 residents. Franklin County officials have imposed mandatory vaccinations for individuals who handle food. Food establishments, including restaurants, have 90 days to ensure their employees are vaccinated. Nearby St Louis County, Missouri enacted a mandatory vaccine requirement nearly 20 years ago. Similar ordinances requiring vaccines for food service workers were enacted in Kentucky's Ashland and Boyd Counties in 2018.
[byline: Tommy Tobin]
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[A campaign to protect the patrons of restaurants from acquiring hepatitis A from the food as being done now in this county in Missouri is more than reasonable, as has been stated here previously. In addition to the recent outbreak of 23 cases of HAV linked to a New Jersey golf club (see alsos below), the following is an only partial list of recent reports of restaurant employees acquiring HAV:
Washington 16 Aug 2019
Hepatitis A forces Lynnwood restaurant to temporarily close
https://lynnwoodtoday.com/confirmed-hepatitis-a-case-closes-lynnwood-restaurant/
New York 16 August 2019
Confirmed case of hepatitis A in Platinum Pizza employee, vaccines to be made available to patrons
https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/confirmed-case-of-hepatitis-a-in-erie-county-restaurant-worker
Florida 6 Aug 2019
Ocala restaurant employee infected with hepatitis A, officials say
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/ocala-restaurant-employee-infected-with-hepatitis-a-officials-say
Tennessee, Ohio 1 Aug 2019
National epidemic of hepatitis A outbreaks puts restaurant customers at risk
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/08/national-epidemic-of-hepatitis-a-outbreaks-puts-restaurant-customers-at-risk/
Mississippi 24 Jul 2019
Health officials investigating possible hepatitis A exposure at Mississippi restaurant
https://www.wlbt.com/2019/07/24/health-officials-investigated-possible-hepatitis-exposure-mississippi-restaurant/
- Mod.LL
HealthMap/ProMED map available at:
Missouri, United States: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/227]
See Also
Hepatitis A - USA (31): (Las Vegas) 20190822.6635382Hepatitis A - USA (30): CDC 20190820.6632003
Hepatitis A - USA (29): (NJ) golf club, food handler related 20190818.6628163
Hepatitis A - USA (28): CDC 20190806.6608382
Hepatitis A - USA (27): (Philadelphia) 20190730.6596253
Hepatitis A - USA (26): CDC 20190723.6583293
Hepatitis A - USA (25): CDC 20190710.6560804
Hepatitis A - USA (24): CDC 20190624.6535805
Hepatitis A - USA (23): (ME, FL, NV) 20190620.6528808
Hepatitis A - USA (22): CDC 20190617.6525159
Hepatitis A - USA (21): CDC 20190612.6516357
Hepatitis A - USA (20): (PA) 20190521.6479178
Hepatitis A - USA (10): (NJ) 20190309.6357839
Hepatitis A - USA (01): (KY, TN) 20190104.6241686
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