According to WSOCTV.com, the Mecklenburg County Health Department announced today that some people who received a hepatitis A vaccination after possible exposure at a Charlotte Papa John’s restaurant in March may have been given the wrong dose. That restaurant is located at 8016 Cambridge Commons Drive, Suite B in Charlotte, NC.
Some adults were given a child’s dose, and some children were given an adult dose. The Health Department said that “no known health risk is associated with this incident.” About 30 people have been informed by letter about the mistake.
Thousands of doses of the vaccine were given out in April to those who visited the restaurant when an employee was working there while sick. Most of the incorrect doses were given to children, who received a double dose. Any adults who received a child-size dose are being asked to come back to the Health Department to get a corrected dose of the vaccine.
Hepatitis A is a viral disease that affects the liver. After exposure, there is a 14-day window during which vaccines are effective. After that time, vaccines will not prevent the disease. Many people are now routinely vaccinated against hepatitis A; doctors recommend that all children starting at age one receive the shot.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, nausea, diarrhea, light-colored stool, dark urine, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), tiredness, loss of appetite, and abdominal cramps. Symptoms usually appear between 15 to 50 days after exposure. Most people are contagious in the middle of the incubation period, before any telltale symptoms appear.
To prevent the spread of this virus, do not prepare or serve food to others when you are sick. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food, before eating, and after using the bathroom.
