County launches vaccination program against hepatitis A

The Clark County Health District launched a new program this week to combat hepatitis A in Southern Nevada.

Dr. Rose Bell, the district's chief epidemiologist, said the "Hepatitis A Vaccine Initiative" is targeting child-care centers throughout the county. Children ages 2-5 are being given the vaccine free.

The program comes on the heels of a newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that has rated Nevada near the top of the states with high hepatitis A levels. The Atlanta-based disease center is recommending that all children in the 2-5 age group be vaccinated.

Hepatitis A is a disease that affects the liver. Its symptoms could include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and high fever. It is usually transmitted through people exposed to fecal matter and who don't wash their hands properly.

Bell said rates in Clark County have been going down and sees the CDC report as being somewhat misleading. In 1997, she said, the rates were 30 per 100,000 population. That has been cut in half for 1998, she said.

There were 188 cases of hepatitis A in 1998, Bell said. The county's peak year was also 1997, when it had 385 cases.

Though the health district can't identify the cause of the state's high rates, Bell thinks Clark County's rapid population growth is a factor. A lot of people are coming here from Mexico, she said, where hepatitis A rates are high.

"This isn't something we should panic over," Bell said. "I would advise parents to get their children vaccinated and encourage good hand washing."

The vaccine, which was developed in 1995, is very effective, Bell said. She is hopeful more child care centers will participate in the district's pilot program and parents with older children will get them vaccinated by their pediatricians.

archive