Erie County to offer Hepatitis A vaccination clinic

The Erie County Department of Health will host a Hepatitis A clinic this Wednesday for adults over 18 years old.

The clinic will take place at the Jesse Nash Health Center, 608 William St., Buffalo, from 3 to 7 p.m.

This comes after at least five people got sick after eating at Donio's Pizza on Harlem Rd. in Cheektowaga, a food handler tested positive for Hepatitis A virus earlier this month.

The Erie County Department of Health continues to investigate ongoing Hepatitis A infection in the community. Health officials say the best way to prevent the infection is through a vaccine.

People who should consider getting vaccinated include:

• All children at age 1 year
• Anyone traveling to or working in countries that have high or intermediate hepatitis A prevalence
• Men who have sex with men
• Anyone who uses injection and non-injection drugs
• Anyone who has occupational risk for infection
• Anyone who has chronic liver disease
• Anyone who has clotting-factor disorders
• Household members and other close personal contacts or adopted children newly arriving from countries with high or intermediate hepatitis A prevalence
• Anyone with direct contact with people who have hepatitis A
• Anyone who is at increased risk for complications from hepatitis A, including people with chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C
• Anyone wishing to obtain immunity.

You can review the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Hepatitis A vaccination information sheet here.

Clinic appointments are required. To preregister, click here or call (716) 858-7101 anytime Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cost of the vaccine is $55.00 per person. Cash (exact change preferred), credit, debit or personal checks are accepted forms of payment. You will receive a detailed invoice you can submit to your health insurance company to receive reimbursement if it is included in your coverage.

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver. Some people infected with Hepatitis A virus develop severe illness lasting several months while others may develop an illness lasting a few weeks or up to 6 months. Hepatitis A can be spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated by the virus, sharing food or utensils or by sharing a bathroom.

Hepatitis A symptoms typically appear 15 to 50 days following an exposure. Typical symptoms include: fatigue, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, low grade fever, abdominal pain or discomfort, dark urine, joint pain, clay-colored bowel movements, and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).

For more information, call the Erie County Health Department at (716) 858-7697.

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