'Thousands' Exposed To Hepatitis Case At NJ Starbucks

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A hepatitis A vaccination clinic has been scheduled for Wednesday at the Camden County Health Hub after an employee at a Gloucester Township Starbucks reportedly continued to work through a hepatitis A infection earlier this month.

The clinic will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., county officials announced. Appointments will be made on a first come, first served basis. Read more here: Hepatitis A Case Identified At NJ Starbucks

More than 800 people were vaccinated during clinics held over the weekend, according to officials. It is unknown how many people were exposed to the infected employee, but a county spokesman told Patch on Tuesday morning that he estimates it to be "somewhere in the thousands."

The Camden County Health Hub is located at Camden County College, 200 College Drive in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township. After Wednesday's clinic, the county will evaluate the need for continued vaccinations, Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said.

Anyone who visited the Starbucks at 1490 Blackwood-Clementon Road in Gloucester Township on Nov. 4,5,6, 11, 12 and 13 is advised to get the Hepatitis A vaccine out of an abundance of caution, officials said.

The Department of Health recommends those who have visited the Starbucks within these dates to have a hepatitis A vaccine and/or immune globulin that can reduce the risk of acquiring the disease. Individuals should receive the vaccine as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after contact.

Anyone who has been vaccinated against hepatitis A in the past does not need to get another dose. Children born after 2000 have likely been vaccinated against hepatitis A and also wouldn’t require a second dose. However, parents should check with their pediatrician to confirm their child’s vaccine status.

Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter, even in microscopic amounts, from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A can include the following:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal discomfort
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored bowel movement
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

Symptoms of the disease surface two to four weeks after exposure, although they can in some instances occur two to seven weeks after exposure. Children under six years of age with hepatitis A often do not have or show few signs and symptoms.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

For more information on hepatitis A and vaccine availability, patrons of Starbucks can contact the Camden County Health Department at 856-549-0530 or their primary care physician.