Message ID:  1601 Public Message Priority:  Advisory

Idaho Health Alert Network
Health Message Details
From:   Health District 3 - Southwest District Health (PHD3)
Sent:   12/21/2017 8:40:37 AM
To:   State Epidemiologist (IDHW), HAN COORDINATOR (IDHW), Epidemiologist (PHD1), Epidemiologist (PHD2), District Director (PHD3), Epidemiologist (PHD3), Environmental Health Director (PHD3), BT Program Manager (PHD3), Immunization Program Coordinator (PHD3), Primary Care Provider (PHD3), Pharmacy (PHD3), Board of Health (PHD3), Emergency Medicine (PHD3), Family Medicine (PHD3), Gastroenterology (PHD3), General Practice (PHD3), Hospital Administration (PHD3), Internal Medicine (PHD3), Mental Health (PHD3), Nurse Practitioner (PHD3), OB / GYN (PHD3), Pediatrics (PHD3), Physician Assistant, Primary Care (PHD3), Psychiatry / Psychology (PHD3), Pulmonary (PHD3), Radiology (PHD3), Infection Control Practitioners (PHD3), Correctional Facilities (PHD3), Infection Preventionist (PHD3), Homeless Shelters (PHD3), Substance Abuse Rehabilitation (PHD3), Epidemiologist (PHD4), Epidemiologist (PHD5), Epidemiologist (PHD6)
Subject:   HEALTH ADVISORY 2017-103: HEPATITIS A OUTBREAK IN UTAH COULD IMPACT IDAHO: PROVIDERS URGED TO REVIEW RECORDS AND VACCINATE!
PHIN Specific Data
Severity: Moderate Delivery Time: 15 Minutes
PHIN Status: Actual Message Type: Alert
Sensitivity: Non Sensitive Acknowledgement: No
 

Health Advisory: Hepatitis A outbreak in Utah could impact Idaho: providers urged to review records and vaccinate!


Southwest District Health encourages healthcare providers to review vaccination records, and vaccinate against hepatitis A, if needed, all persons at high risk for hepatitis A, including patients experiencing homelessness. Large hepatitis A outbreaks in western states including Utah are occurring among homeless persons and persons who use illicit injection or non-injection drugs. Travel by infected persons from one locality to another has initiated new outbreaks; a recent acute hepatitis A case in an Idaho resident has possible links to the ongoing outbreak in Utah. Preemptive vaccination is recommended, along with counseling on other preventive measures such as good hand hygiene.

All homeless persons, and persons who use injection or non-injection drugs, who have not been previously vaccinated against hepatitis A or who do not have documentation of hepatitis A vaccination, should receive two doses of hepatitis A vaccine (VAQTA®, 6–18 months apart; or HAVRIX®, 6–12 months apart) or 3–4 doses of a combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine (TWINRIX®). The supply of hepatitis A vaccine for adults is constrained; to conserve the vaccine supply and maximize the availability of at least one dose of hepatitis A vaccine among persons with exposure risk, the second dose can be deferred until the supply has improved. Pediatric-formulated vaccine should not be used in adults. Pediatric vaccine for children aged <19 years is available through the Idaho Immunization Program, www.immunizeidaho.com.

Please enter vaccine administration into IRIS for those patients who have not opted out of IRIS.

Report cases or suspected cases of hepatitis A within one working day to Southwest District Health or the Epidemiology Program, Division of Public Health, tel. 208-334-5939, fax. 208-332-7307. Post exposure prophylaxis is recommended for unvaccinated persons who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus in the last 2 weeks.

For more information:

Hepatitis A outbreaks and links to vaccine recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/outbreaks/2017March-HepatitisA.htm

Idaho Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS): https://iris.dhw.idaho.gov/

Contact:
Southwest District Health Epidemiology Program
Confidential Reporting Line 208-455-5442
Confidential Reporting Fax 208-455-5350

  



 

 

The following files(s) are attached to this health message:
FileSize
2017-103 - HA-Hepatitis A outbreak in Utah could impact Idaho.pdf 1315547
To access the attachments online, go to http://health.dhw.idaho.gov/idhan