The Ashland-Boyd County Kentucky Health Department says a worker at a McDonald’s in Ashland has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The employee was diagnosed on May 23rd, 2018 and worked at the McDonald’s located at 2550 Winchester Avenue in Ashland, KY.
According to press reports, McDonald’s is working with the health department to prevent any new cases from arising in the community as a result of this case.
All employees, including the diagnosed case, received the Hepatitis A vaccine prior to the May 23, 2018, diagnosis. The McDonald’s chain previously established a required hepatitis A vaccination policy for all workers.
Well done McDonald’s. We are also seeing other restaurant chains in Utah, Michigan and other states doing the same. Too bad they did not start this years ago.
Sound familiar, on May 4, 2000, I said:
In light of the recent, large-scale Hepatitis A exposure in the San Francisco Bay Area, food safety attorneys of the Seattle-based law firm of Marler Clark, are asking restaurants and food manufacturers to voluntarily vaccinate all workers against Hepatitis A.
“In the last six months Hepatitis A exposures have been linked to two Seattle-area Subways, a Carl’s Jr. in Spokane, WA, Hoggsbreath, a Minnesota restaurant, and three restaurants in Northwest Arkansas, IHOP, U.S. Pizza, and Belvedeers. Restaurants and food manufacturers must take action and voluntarily vaccinate all of their employees.”