so we're just here talking now in fact
about the Health Alert that we have been
following for the last few days
hepatitis A cases are rising here in our
state and the State Health Department is
worried the threat could continue of
people just are not careful the Health
Department confirms there have been at
least 883 cases this year
all right we're only in April topping
the five hundred forty-eight cases
reported in all of last year people here
in our area have already been infected
as well
doctor Pauline roll is the medical
director of the Florida Health
Department here in Duval County she's
joining us this morning dr. role thanks
for being here do appreciate it
you know I feel like we're always
talking about something that could be
solved with vaccinations last week you
were here specifically talking about the
need for the MMR vaccine among our
children and now we're talking about Hep
A let's explain to our viewers also
because we had a story about Hep A
yesterday is this something that starts
with intravenous drug use and that's how
this is spread or can you just get this
just being out in the public either way
and so it is spread by ingesting fecal
material from someone who is infected
and so or having close personal contact
or IV drug use sexual contact those are
some of the ways that people get
hepatitis A and so certainly most people
are familiar with it through salad bars
and things of that nature for food
people handling food and not washing
their hands but there are other ways of
getting it what are the symptoms of this
then
so fever vomiting diarrhea jaundice
often people don't realize they have it
until they have yellowing of the eyes or
skin and so those are the most common
things that we see so how do you treat a
thin is it just the symptoms or you know
other than getting the vaccination so
children under age of 6 tend not to have
symptoms and so sometimes they have it
and you don't even know it but though
for those who have symptoms often times
they think they have the flu and so a
lot of people don't even get it checked
out but it is important to see your
doctor if you think you might have
gotten it because you can get the
vaccine within two weeks of being
exposed to the hepatitis A and so it's
important but usually once you've gotten
in and you're manifesting symptoms
it's just symptomatic here you know
taking the enter /
to keep the fever down lots of fluids
and things of that nature so would our
children then mine are 11 and 14 have
already had this jefe as an option in
terms given to them as a vaccine of
their pediatrician or was there some
kind of threshold at which if they
started to give it more mainstream well
it became routine for children in 2006
prior to that the vaccine had been
around awhile since 1995 and was really
just being pushed for those who are at
high risk but do you then recommend that
yes people our age is an example we may
not have had this when we were children
that we need to have this conversation
now with our doctor well certainly
anyone should get be thinking about
getting the hepatitis A vaccine but
right now we're looking at those who are
particularly high risk because that's
what's driving this increase in cases
those who are IV drug users those who
are caretakers of those who might be
infected with hepatitis A people over 50
people with pre-existing medical
conditions such as pre-existing liver
disease tend to do far worse with this
and so we're mainly pushing it for the
men who have sex with men are certainly
at risk those are the populations were
mainly targeting right now and and how
sick then can these people in the
high-risk category get I mean can this
kill them yes and so you can have
something as simple as no symptoms to
symptoms similar to what you would get
with the cold or the flu all the way to
liver failure and death and so there's a
wide spectrum here most people do fine
and recover but for those particularly
who are pre-existing medical conditions
who already have suppressed immune
systems they are most at risk for liver
failure and death and if you are
infected with Hep A and you did not have
the vaccine once you've been infected
and let's let's hope that you recover
then are you immune to it sort of
forever so you don't have to worry about
then going and getting the vaccine yes
you are you are and if I can emphasize
anything hand-washing you extremely
important this is often transmitted
because people were infected and didn't
wash their hands and went to prepare
food or engaged in first close little
contact with someone else or were
caretakers for someone and so it is
important that people wash their hands
and if you're in one of those categories
that are deemed high risk or if you're
concerned certainly think about getting
the vaccine it's interesting because
when when I saw you last week you told
me that this was becoming a real concern
in the state of Florida and as we've
seen these numbers have really exploded
won't worries you
without this that the people that we
need to get this vaccine are not hearing
this message in a lot of these counties
they have high levels of drug use IV
drug use in particular and that is or
they have high homeless populations or
other populations who are high-risk and
those are the people we really want to
get this message to and I'm concerned
that they're not getting the message the
ones who need to be vaccinated well
let's hope that your message this
morning will be spread of course to
those of our viewers who are watching
who will then tell their friends and
anyone else particularly in those
high-risk categories that dr. Rolle just
named for us if you joined us halfway
through this interview and missed some
of it we will post it later this morning
on the morning show page and under the
health page of our website news for
Jack's com critical important
information to keep those of our family
members safe and certainly healthy in
our area