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Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office gives Hepatitis A Vaccinations to Inmates and Jail Deputies

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office - MCSOClarksville, TN – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and their inmate medical provider Correct Care Solutions, along with the assistance of the Montgomery County Health Department and Tennessee Department of Health, administered 610 hepatitis A vaccines to inmates and jail deputies on Saturday, August 4th, 2018.

The need to vaccinate the inmates and jail employees was to prevent an outbreak after an inmate tested positive for hepatitis A. The inmate tested positive on Thursday, August 2nd, 2018 and has since been quarantined and is under medical care. As of today, no other inmate has tested positive for hepatitis A.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office administers Hepatitis A Vaccinations at the Montgomery County Jail after one inmate tested positive on August 2nd.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office administers Hepatitis A Vaccinations at the Montgomery County Jail after one inmate tested positive on August 2nd.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver cause by the hepatitis A virus. Those at the highest risk are recreational drug users, the LBGT community, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

“It can be a serious and sometimes deadly disease, but the good news is steps can be taken to prevent it. This includes simply washing your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before eating and preparing food and also getting the hepatitis A vaccine,” said Joey Smith, Health Department Director.

“When something like this occurs, you have to act fast to prevent it from spreading, and we did exactly that,” said Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson.  “This entire process highlights the readiness of our jail staff, our inmate medical provider, and our local and state health departments, who all did a great job addressing this issue.”

For more information on the causes, treatment, and prevention of hepatitis A visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/dotw/hepatitisa.

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