CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Thousands of people are still in need of hepatitis A vaccinations after a west Charlotte restaurant was linked to an outbreak after an employee was diagnosed with the disease earlier this week.
Public Health Director Gibbie Harris urged anyone who ate at Hardee’s on Little Rock Road between June 13 – 23 to receive a vaccination as soon as possible. Harris said as many as 4,000 people were possibly exposed to hepatitis A at the restaurant during a 10-day span. Harris cited the Centers for Disease Controls guidance, which said anyone exposed to the infection must get the vaccine within 14 days, meaning time is running out with each passing day.
Harris announced this week that health officials and the CDC declared an outbreak with five new cases being reported in Mecklenburg County. Since April 20, there have been 10 confirmed cases of hepatitis A in the county. Since 2012, 1,200 cases of the virus have occurred nationally, with 37 deaths and over 800 hospitalizations.
As of Friday, over 1,500 people received the vaccine, which is being provided at no charge at all public health departments statewide. Vaccinations will continue in Mecklenburg County through next Saturday, July 7.
On Thursday, a class action lawsuit was filed against Morning Star LLC, which is a franchisee of several Hardee’s, including the Little Rock Road location. Attorney Brett Dessler said the suit will include all of the potentially affected customers. They will be notified and given the chance to opt out of the suit.
“Part of what these lawsuits are about is trying to raise a higher level of awareness about hep A and the risk it carries inside the restaurant business,” Dressler said.
According to the Mecklenburg County Health Department, hepatitis A spreads through the fecal matter of an infected person, most commonly by poor handwashing. Symptoms of the disease include nausea, fever, joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite and stomach pain. Those symptoms can last for weeks to months. Click here for more information.
Last year, Dressler filed a similar suit against a Hardee’s owner in South Carolina, which affected between 1,500 – 2,000 people. That case was resolved and dismissed.
Hepatitis A vaccination clinic schedule:
July 2-3, 5-6: Vaccinations will be given at 2845 Beatties Ford Rd. and 249 Billingsley Rd. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
July 4: Vaccinations will be given at 2845 Beatties Ford Rd. between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
July 7: Vaccinations will be given at 2845 Beatties Ford Rd. between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.