By Jill Sperling

Hundreds vaccinated in wake of Hepatitis A warning

Dec 29, 2016 | 10:43 AM

KAMLOOPS — Hundreds of people who ate at the Clearwater Dairy Queen between Dec. 8 and 18 have received a vaccine against Hepatitis A. 

Last week Interior Health was notified that an employee of the fast food restaurant was being treated for the virus in hospital. 

Hepatitis A can cause long term liver problems and is spread through close personal contact or through contaminated food handled by an infected person. 

Kevin Touchet, practice leader with Environmental Health, says the public was quickly notified and a number of vaccination clinics were set up. 

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“There was a series of clinics over a number of days prior to Christmas and then afterwards in a number of different locations in Clearwater and then Kamloops, so there was opportunities for people who were exposed or potentially exposed to get some Hepatitis A vaccine,” he said. 

Touchet added, “As of close on Monday, the last stats that we got, about 336 doses were provided in the Clearwater area, another couple of dozen in Kamlooops, and I think one or two in other locations.” 

Touchet says there is a 14 day window for vaccine effectiveness from the time someone was infected.

There are a few more clinics in Clearwater today (Dec. 29) and tomorrow at the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater. 

Anyone who thinks they may have been infected but can’t make it to a vaccination clinic is asked to contact the Kamloops Public Health Unit at 250-851-7300.