3,000 Hepatitis A Vaccines at a Cost of $100,000 Due to Ill NY McDonalds Worker

David Shaw of the Finger Lakes Times reported today that the Seneca County Public Health recognized for its response to a recent hepatitis A scare after a McDonald’s worker in Waterloo was diagnosed with the illness. The department set up clinics at Mynderse Academy and the county office building, vaccinating thousands of diners who patronized the restaurant on the days the infected employee worked. According to Public Health Director Vickie Swinehart, “we immunized more than 1,200 people in the first two days … overall, we immunized 2,968 people,” she reported. While the overall cost to the county will exceed $100,000, Swinehart said the state has agreed to pay for much of it because it has been classified as an emergency situation. “We will owe Erie County money for giving us the medicine, and we have to reimburse counties that sent staff to our clinics,” she explained.