Dallas County Reports 4 Hepatitis A Cases

Hepatitis A is preventable with appropriate vaccination
dallas skyline at dusk
(Precision Vaccinations News)

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) confirmed to PrecisionVaccinations.com they have reported four hepatitis A cases during 2018.

This is actually good news!  Several cities such as Louisville, KY, and Toledo, Ohio continue to report ongoing and extensive hepatitis A outbreaks.

According to Renae Crutchfield, Public Information Officer for DCHHS, Dallas County is continuing its previously launched mobile clinic vaccination program.

This pre-emptive program is administering free vaccinations at homeless centers to help prevent and fight the spreading of Hepatitis A.

When compared to the cost of a hepatitis A hospitalization exceeding $5,000, these $50 vaccinations are a wise preventative health investment.

DCHHS said they are prepared to deliver 1,000 vaccinations.

"Vaccinating against Hepatitis A exposure is not just for international travel. Ask your pharmacist about this 2-dose series at your next visit to your pharmacy to be protected against this preventable disease,” said Soni Bozeman, PharmD Clinical Pharmacist MTM, and Immunization Specialist Brookshire Grocery Company.

Historically, Dallas County has been a national leader in limiting hepatitis A cases. Dallas County only reported 14 hepatitis A cases in 2015, 12 during 2016 and just 17 during 2017.

During 2016, the state of Texas reported 139 hepatitis A cases, with the other 49 states reporting an additional 1,868 cases.

Currently, the states of Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia are reporting widespread hepatitis A outbreaks.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, the inactivated vaccines containing HAV antigen currently licensed in the United States are:

  • the single-antigen vaccines HAVRIX and VAQTA,
  • the combination vaccine TWINRIX® (containing both HAV and hepatitis B virus antigens),
  • GamaSTAN S/D immune globulin (IG) for intramuscular administration is the only IG product approved for HAV prophylaxis.

Most health clinics and pharmacies in the USA offer hepatitis vaccination services.

Recently, on June 11, 2018, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network Advisory about the hepatitis A outbreaks and guidance to assist in identifying and preventing new infections. All U.S. jurisdictions are encouraged to be watchful for increases in hepatitis A cases and consider submitting recently confirmed hepatitis A virus specimens to CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis Laboratory.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides current HAV vaccine contract prices and general information, and vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects, says the CDC. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.

 

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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