The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will organize a mobile hepatitis A vaccination clinic on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to noon in the south parking lot of Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Flu vaccinations will also be provided. The target population for the effort is people who are experiencing homelessness and may not have access to preventive care.
L.A. County Public Health has declared an outbreak of hepatitis A in Los Angeles County. A majority of cases have occurred in persons who are homeless and/or use illicit drugs, with several cases also occurring among people who provide services to homeless populations. However, an increased number of cases of hepatitis A is occurring in Los Angeles County among men who have sex with men.
Hepatitis A causes acute liver disease, which may be severe. It can be transmitted by touching objects or eating food that someone with hepatitis A has handled, having sex or close contact with someone who has a hepatitis A infection, consuming food or drinks that are contaminated by the virus, or sharing needles, pipes or other items when using drugs.
The hepatitis A vaccine is safe and effective, and even a single dose is highly effective in adults. For more information about risk factors and preventing the spread of hepatitis A, please visit the L.A. County Public Health website.
Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone six months of age and older, including healthy adults. Those with severe egg allergies or who are sick during the day of the clinic should check with their doctor before getting vaccinated. More information about preventing the flu is available online.
The City’s West Hollywood Homeless Initiative seeks to effectively address homelessness with a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency, collaborative response. If you are concerned about a community member who is homeless, call the West Hollywood Homeless Initiative Concern Line at (323) 848-6590. If your concern requires time-sensitive assistance during nights or weekends, please call the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/homeless.
For more information about the hepatitis A vaccination clinic, please contact Corri Planck at (323) 848-6430 or at cplanck@weho.org. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
