A hepatitis A alert has been issued by the Cabarrus Health Alliance, after a manager at the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant at 8016 Cambridge Commons Drive, Suite B in Charlotte, North Carolina, was diagnosed with the illness. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between March 24 and April 7, 2014 should be vaccinated against the virus.
The vaccine is only effective if given within 14 days of exposure. If you ate there before March 29, 2014 and have not been vaccinated, you must monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A and go to a doctor if you get sick. Those symptoms include nausea, fever, diarrhea, light-colored stool, dark-colored urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), and abdominal cramps. Anyone with a pre-existing liver condition could become seriously ill if they contract this illness.
If you visited the restaurant March 29, 2014 or later you can get a vaccination at one of two clinics being held this weekend by public health officials. The time for the vaccine’s effectiveness runs out after Saturday, April 12 for the 3/29 group and Sunday, April 13 for the 3/30 group.
The clinics are Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Central Piedmont Community College – CATO 2 Building at 8120 Grier Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. Another clinic will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the same location. For maps and directions, visit the CPCC web site or call 704-920-1213.
