2024-02-17 22:53:00
The journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reports the experience of a hepatitis A vaccination campaign in a prison in Los Angeles County, California, which helped prevent a hepatitis A epidemic.
On May 30, 2023, the Los Angeles County Jail System was notified that an inmate tested positive for hepatitis A. The inmate was a 41-year-old warehouse worker, incarcerated for first time on April 27, 2023, who reported being homeless, injecting drugs and suffering from alcohol use disorder upon admission. The patient complained of severe abdominal pain and on physical examination showed signs of jaundice.
A survey of electronic medical records and vaccination history identified contacts who could be vaccinated against hepatitis A. Vaccination began within 48 hours of patient admission, and 2,766 people were offered the vaccine. In total, 1,510 (54.6%) agreed to receive it.
Contacts who handled food without confirmed evidence of immunity and who refused vaccination were removed from food handling duties for the duration of their potential incubation period.
No other cases have been identified.
This episode demonstrates the importance of a rapid response to hepatitis A exposure in prison settings to minimize the risk of transmission and help prevent an outbreak. The rapid rollout of the vaccine likely helped reduce transmission and prevent an outbreak within the prison population and the enhanced surveillance, which included tracking emergency hospital transfers made due to suspected acute hepatitis A , made it possible to identify possible secondary cases or cluster cases requiring further investigation.
Source : Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
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