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Arkansas health officials say hepatitis A outbreak tied mainly to drug use; 30,000 vaccine doses administered
Summary
Arkansas Department of Health officials told the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that the state's hepatitis A outbreak began in February 2018, has produced 369 cases and three deaths so far, and that the department has provided more than 30,000 vaccine doses as it focuses outreach on people who inject drugs and food‑service workers.
Arkansas health officials on Thursday briefed the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on a hepatitis A outbreak first identified in February 2018 and concentrated in the state’s northeast counties. "Hepatitis A is a vaccine‑preventable liver disease," Doctor Nate Smith, Arkansas Secretary of Health, said, adding that the state has administered more than 30,000 hepatitis A vaccine doses since the outbreak began.
Smith said the outbreak reflects a national rise in cases and that Arkansas has seen 369 cases and three deaths to date. "The greatest impact has been in the Northeast counties of our state," he…
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