- Hello Jeff - Again, another restaurant worker comes down
with Hepatitis A. Hundreds of people lined up in Calgary to receive Hepatitis
A vaccine. This is just so wrong. It infuriates me to hear about another
Hepatitis A case in a food handler. There was no mention if the worker
was a native born Canadian or an immigrant worker.
-
- This same situation has played over and over again in
the US - and in the majority of cases, if not all of the cases, the worker
was an illegal immigrant.
-
- People should not have to risk their health with either
infection or vaccination just for going out to dinner. It is about time
food care establishments stop hiring illegal workers. The establishment
is responsible for the health of the workers and care should be taken to
1. ensure workers are healthy and 2. ensure proper sanitation is taken. This
really makes me angry.
-
-
- Hundreds Line Up For Hep A Vaccine In Calgary
- CBC News
- 5-16-7
-
-
- A lineup of Calgarians needing a hepatitis A vaccination
stretched out the door and around the corner of a health centre Wednesday
afternoon following a confirmed case of the liver infection in a Calgary
restaurant worker. The food handler was employed at the Wildwood
Grill and Brewing Company at 2417 Fourth St. S.W.
-
- The Calgary Health Region is urging people who ate at
the Wildwood between April 30 and May 13 to contact Health Link, the
region's telephone line staffed by nurses. Health officials have set
up two impromptu vaccination clinics, including one at their downtown office
at 1509 Centre St. S.
-
- Carolyn Johns, who was in the lineup Wednesday, praised
the Calgary Health Region. "They're pulling in extra staff
to handle that, so hopefully that will help," she said. "No,
I'm not
- worried, but I'm certainly wanting to get this vaccine
to be on the safe side."
-
- About 320 people were vaccinated Tuesday night. Among
them was Jen Reasbeck-Eggermont and the rest of her family, who lined up
for the
- vaccine because of a birthday lunch last week at the
Wildwood Grill.
-
- "This person didn't get a vaccination and went travelling
and then worked in the food industry. It just seems like such common
sense, and it's taking everyone else's health for granted by doing
that."
-
- The restaurant is closed while it is being decontaminated.
Owner Josef Wiewer said the employee contracted hepatitis A on a recent
trip to southeast Asia.
- "The person is fine. We talked to them today. More
than anything else, he feels really, really bad because they had to
close down the restaurant."
-
- Dr. Judy MacDonald with the Calgary Health Region said
this case should be a lesson for people planning an overseas vacation. "They
should be thinking about visiting a travel clinic or talking to their physicians
about getting vaccinations that will protect them against diseases
such as hepatitis A."
-
- Hepatitis A is a viral infection that affects the liver.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue and nausea, followed by yellow jaundice. A
vaccine will offer protection from the virus if received within 14 days
after contact. However, if more time has elapsed since contact with
the virus, there is no preventive vaccine or medication, health officials
warn.
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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