2nd vaccine clinic set after Hep A case confirmed at Danforth juice bar

Nearly 200 people attended a free hepatitis A vaccine clinic in the city’s east end Sunday after Toronto Public Health (TPH) confirmed a case of the virus at The Big Carrot organic juice bar on the Danforth.

The clinic, held at the East York Civic Centre, was for anyone who consumed fresh juice from that location between March 17 and April 2 of this year.

“We’re really encouraging people, especially those that might have been exposed within the last two weeks when the vaccine is most effective, to get vaccinated,” Dr. Rita Shahin, Toronto’s associate medical officer of health, explained.

Another clinic will take place on Monday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at at the Scarborough Civic Centre in Committee Room 2.

Hepatitis A is transmitted from person-to-person by the fecal-oral route. A common route of exposure is food contaminated by infected food handlers.

Symptoms include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, stomach pains, and yellowing of the skin — however some people may not show symptoms.

Most infected people recover completely.

Big Carrot spokesperson Sarah Dobec said the employee who tested positive is off work recovering and that the business has been inspected by TPH.

“They inspected the juice bar yesterday and it is open for business today,” she said.

Click here for a fact sheet on hepatitis A.