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Montgomery Co. Inmate Tests Positive For Hepatitis A, 610 Vaccines Administered

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Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and inmate medical care provider Correct Care Solutions administered 610 hepatitis A vaccines to inmates and jail deputies on Saturday after one inmate tested positive.

The sheriff’s office said in a release on Wednesday that the inmate tested positive on August 2, was quarantined and is under medical care. No other inmates have tested positive for the virus.

The Montgomery County Health Department and Tennessee Health Department assisted in the vaccinations. County Health Department Director Joey Smith said in a release that this is a serious and sometimes deadly disease, but 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,” Smith said.

The sheriff’s office said, “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.”

Kentucky is in the midst of a Hepatitis A outbreak with more than 400 confirmed cases in the past year. As of August 3, Tennessee has had over 100 confirmed cases.

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