CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Traffic was steady at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department on Friday morning for the first of three Hepatitis A vaccination clinics being held specifically for food service workers in both Kanawha County and Putnam County.
“We’ve had a lot of people go through the clinic. We hope to have a lot more people,” said John Law, public information specialist for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.
The clinics were organized as numbers of confirmed cases of Hepatitis A continued to climb in southwestern West Virginia.
Of the 121 cases in all of West Virginia, most have been in Putnam County and Kanawha County. Eight of those cases involve food service workers whose co-workers have already been vaccinated.
“We hope this will (1) stop any outbreak and (2) raise people’s confidence in eating out,” Law told 580-WCHS.
In addition the Friday clinic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, two other clinic dates are scheduled:
May 30, Charleston Civic Center, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
June 1, St. George Conference Center at Court & Lee Streets, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“If you have insurance, we’ll bill your insurance. We won’t charge you any co-pays,” Law said. “If you don’t have insurance, because the Bureau for Public Health purchased vaccine for us, we have it for free.”
The shots provided now are the first of two for Hepatitis A. The initial shot provides immunity for 14 or 15 years, while the second one ensures lifetime immunity, according to Law.
Earlier this week, similar vaccination clinics were held for Kanawha County employees, first responders and others at the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority.
On Thursday, health officials confirmed the death of Kanawha County man, 33, due to a number of health issues including Hepatitis A.