WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:49 — 2.9MB)
The Indiana Recovery Alliance and the Shalom Community Center handed out Hepatitis A vaccinations in Bloomington this afternoon.
Indiana Recovery Alliance Founder and Director Chris Abert said the area organizations handed out around a dozen vaccinations for the disease. Abert said people experiencing homelessness and drug addiction are the among the most susceptible demographics to contract the disease, which is easily spread.
The Indiana State Department of Health has already documented at least one death from Hepatitis A this year. The disease, which is transmitted through the ingestion of fecal matter, is spreading rapidly throughout the state. Abert said public officials need to start treating homelessness and drug addiction as public health problems, not as social nuisances.
Abert said it’s important to vaccinate people experiencing homelessness and addiction because it’s possible for them to continue to spread the disease, and the IRA had a dozen people experiencing homelessness or addiction receive Hepatitis A vaccinations, today. He said it’s important for a public health approach to meet vulnerable populations where they are.
Hepatitis A vaccines are available at the Monroe County Health Department. The ISDH recommends washing hands frequently in order to avoid the disease, which can cause health complications in the liver and kidneys.
