Dallas Learned From National Hepatitis A Outbreak

The ongoing, national hepatitis A outbreak may not catch the city of Dallas off-guard.

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) confirmed to Precision Vaccinations that they have already launched a vaccination initiative to address the spreading of this deadly virus.

DCHHS reported mobile clinics are being dispatched to homeless centers across Dallas County to administer vaccinations to help prevent and fight Hepatitis A.

DCHHS has already administered 250 doses of the vaccine through 8 mobile clinics and is prepared to administer an additional 750 doses, at no charge. The vaccine costs DCHHS about $50 per dose.

This DCHHS campaign is in response to a national hepatitis A crisis. 

This outbreak among the illicit drug users and homeless populations began in Michigan during August 2016.

Last year, San Diego was ground zero for a deadly outbreak that spread up the coast to Santa Cruz, leading California Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in October.

DCHHS says there are some Hepatitis cases in Dallas County, but not to the proportion of an outbreak. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), there were 174 hepatitis A cases confirmed during 2015. 

In Texas, healthcare providers, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and others are required to report patients who are suspected of having a notifiable condition, 25 Tex. Admin. Code §97.2.

Separately, on June 11, 2018, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network Advisory to public health departments across the USA. 

Additional states reporting hepatitis A outbreaks are Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). 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 pharmacies in the USA offer hepatitis vaccines. 

To schedule a vaccination appointment at a local pharmacy, please click here.

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.