(Watch the video attached to hear the Health Department's update on the situation)
Springfield-Greene County Health Director Kevin Gipson says health workers opened the doors about 15 minutes early for the clinic at the Remington's Event Center in southeast Springfield. Inside, 17 shot stations were set up, and processed people through in about 10 minutes, Gipson said.
"We are very prepared," he said. "We expect to be busy all day. For people who were visiting Springfield from out of the area and ate at the restaurant from May 8-16, Gipson says they should contact their local health department to get the Hep-A vaccination.
The clinic runs until 6:00 p.m. Thursday's at Remington's. (map) The clinic will also be available on Fr! iday, May 23, from 7 a.m.-noon. The Health Department says while the clinic is open to the public, they recommend individuals who are pregnant or have compromised immune systems contact their doctor for guidance.
In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, the Health Department said they received a report of a food service worker at the Springfield Red Robin restaurant with Hepatitis A.
Because the worker, who is unnamed, was in the restaurant from May 8-16, the Health Department says they predict nearly 5,000 people have the potential to be affected in the incident. Thursday, health officials said the infected worker is now in the recovery phase.
Hepatitis A is usually spread from contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by the feces of an infected person, which arrived Thursday morning.
"If the vaccine is not taken within 14 days of the time exposed, it doesn't work," said Gipson during the press conference. "So we are really on t! he clock, which is why we are doing this very quickly and we n! eed your help to get the information out. Because the clock is ticking. By the end of the month and those 14 days, that last day he worked was May 16, so that 14 days will be up. You have to get it two weeks after exposure."
In addition to the Health Department clinics at Remington's, Mercy will have vaccinations available from noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Monday (May 24-26) at Mercy's Smith Glynn Callaway-Suite 170 at 3231 S. National Ave., in Springfield. And Cox Health will also have vaccine available the same times and dates, noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Monday (May 24-26) at the Turner Center on the CoxSouth campus in Springfield.
Source : http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/health-department-updates-hepatitis-a-situation/15047/Kls8F8RYcUWPqUdoBXpu0w
