The Rock Island County Health Department reminded the public Monday that it has scheduled a series of February clinics designed to get a second dose of hepatitis A vaccine to people who were inoculated last summer in connection with an outbreak of the disease.
Also, since demand has lessened, the health department will administer both hepatitis A and/or H1N1 vaccinations at clinics on both Tuesdays and Thursdays this month. Clinic times are 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. They will be held at the health department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. The clinics will be held on a walk-in basis, with no appointment needed.
A health department spokesperson said a second dose of the hepatitis A vaccine or Immunoglobulin is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, six months or more after a first dose to provide the maximum protection available through immunization.
The people who should receive a second dose are those who consumed products originating from the McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Ill., during July 2009.
The cost is $30, regardless of one’s county of residence; cash or check only (no debit/credit cards).
The original vaccinations were free because the shots were provided as a public health response to an outbreak and were administered to prevent illness in those possibly exposed to hepatitis A and to control the further spread of the disease. Since the second dose is not part of the outbreak response, there is a moderate charge to cover the cost of the vaccine. The department is not charging for administering the shots. The customary fee for a hepatitis vaccination at the health department would be $45.
Those who received Immunoglobulin, not a first dose of hepatitis A vaccine, are encouraged to attend one of the clinics to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
A small number of people received their first dose of vaccine from another health-care provider. They are welcome to attend health department clinics.
For more information, go to the department’s Web site, richd.org.
