(LEX 18) Acting Commissioner of the Department for Public Health Dr. Jefferey Howard released a statement on Kentucky’s Hepatitis A situation Friday. In it, he stated that there have been three deaths related to the Hepatitis A situation.
He said that the Department for Public Health is working on responding to the situation. The Center for Disease Control, or CDC, is working with the Department for Public Health on the issue. Howard said that the CDC called the department’s response, the “gold standard”.
The CDC has advised that similar outbreaks usually peak after about 6-8 months. Howard said that they are not expecting to experience a shorter duration.
Through April 14, they said that there have been 352 outbreak-associated cases, 246 hospitalizations, and three deaths.
DPH is recommending vaccination for children and adult residents of Jefferson, Bullitt, Hardin, Greenup, Carter, and Boyd counties. The vaccine is not recommended for infants under the age of 1.
