800 residents who may have been exposed to hepatitis A at South Jersey Starbucks can get 2nd shot

BELLMAWR, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An important reminder for anyone who may have been exposed to hepatitis A at a South Jersey Starbucks last fall.

More than 800 residents are eligible for their second dose of the vaccine.

Last November, an employee at the Starbucks on Blackwood Clementon Road in Gloucester Township tested positive.

The store was immediately closed for cleaning and vaccine clinics were held out of an abundance of caution.

"The Camden County Health Department undertook the largest hepatitis A vaccine effort in state history by vaccinating more than 800 people in November," the department said.

Health officials say residents should receive their second dose at least six months after receiving their first.

The department is now taking appointments for the second dose at the regional clinic on East Browning Road in Bellmawr.

"If you were one of those residents who received a dose of the vaccine back in November, it's imperative that you come to get your second one," Commissioner Carmen Rodriguez, who also serves as the liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. "Like many other vaccines, the hepatitis A vaccine relies on that second dose to provide full protection to the recipient so please, make an appointment as soon as you can."

Appointments can be scheduled by calling the clinic at (856) 931-2700.

The health department released the following information on hepatitis A:

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.