Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NC Sees Increase In Hepatitis A, Officials Urge Vaccination

AP Photo/Jessica Kourkounis

North Carolina health officials are urging people to get vaccinated against Hepatitis A. This follows a sharp uptick in cases associated with an outbreak that began over two years ago.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says the current outbreak of Hepatitis A began in April 2018, with more than half of the cases reported since January of this year. According to a news release, there have been four deaths associated with the outbreak so far in 2020, increasing the total to five.

NCDHHS recommends getting vaccinated against the disease, especially for those at high risk of contracting it. People at highest risk include those who are experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs.

Health officials say getting a two-dose vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against Hepatitis A. All local health departments in North Carolina offer free vaccinations for people at high risk. 

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection that can result in a range of reactions from mild to severe, with symptoms that can last from a few weeks to several months. 

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate