Rosauers To Vaccinate 700 Workers After One Contracts Hepatitis A Yoke’s Pac ‘N Save Also Has Offered Free Inoculations To Its Employees

Rosauers Supermarkets has decided to vaccinate all 700 of its employees for hepatitis A, one day after the public was told about an employee who may have spread the disease.

Yoke’s Pac ‘N Save Foods is the only other area grocer to offer free inoculations to employees, despite the Spokane Regional Health District’s suggestions to do so since mid-November.

Many restaurants have taken the advice. More than 80 restaurants and other establishments that serve food in Spokane County had vaccinated employees through last Thursday, according to the health district.

Representatives from Safeway Stores, Albertsons Food and Drug Stores and Tidyman’s say they’ll stand by their policies of meticulous hand-washing as the best way to combat spread of the disease.

At $84 per person, the inoculations will cost Rosauers more than $58,000. The immunizations will start today at 8:30 a.m. at the University City store at 10920 E. Sprague, where the infected employee worked.

Rosauers also is paying for immune globulin shots for customers who may have been exposed.

Rosauers President Larry Geller lamented that the vaccinations at seven stores in Spokane and one in Coeur d’Alene will cost “too much,” but he said it’s worth it.

“Our reputation is very important to us and to our customers,” he said.

Yoke’s is requiring employees in its bakeries, delis and meat and produce departments to receive the vaccine, and offered optional vaccinations to all other employees through today.

The vaccine was first developed in 1994, and is described by the manufacturer as having long-term effectiveness after a six-month booster. Long-term tests have not been done yet, but health officials suspect the vaccine could last at least 10 years, and may provide permanent protection.

Once the vaccine is given, it prevents people from contracting hepatitis A or spreading it, said Dr. Kim Thorburn of the Spokane Regional Health District.

There is no shortage of the vaccine, she said, unlike immune globulin shots, which are used to treat people within 14 days of exposure.

There is a supply of 1,000 immune globulin shots, which should be enough to handle people who may have been exposed at Rosauers, Thorburn said.

At least 85 people have tested positive for hepatitis A in Spokane County since the beginning of the year. It is a virus similar to the flu, and can cause fever, nausea and jaundice after a two- to seven-week incubation period.

“Hepatitis A is not fun,” said Caroline Geiger, human resources director for Yoke’s. “And when it’s this prevalent, it’s a mistake to think that it couldn’t happen to us.”

But some stores are still hoping it won’t.

Albertsons recently had a small number of employees vaccinated after a meat cutter in its Liberty Lake store came down with the infection. But the company has no plans to further inoculate employees, said Michael Read, a corporate spokesman in Boise.

Health officials decided there was no threat to the public from the meat-cutter’s infection after inspecting the facility, Thorburn said. Because it’s cooked, meat generally is not a vehicle for spreading the illness, she said.

Representatives from Safeway and Tidyman’s said they are paying close attention to the epidemic, but said they have no plans to vaccinate.

After the announcement of the infected worker at Rosauers, 220 people who may have been exposed to the infection received immune globulin shots Tuesday. Shots are still available today and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the health district office, 1101 W. College.

The shots work retroactively on infections up to 14 days, so the health district is recommending shots for people exposed Feb. 3-5.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHO’S AT RISK? Immune globulin shots are recommended for people who bought doughnuts, maple bars, chocolate bars or deli drinks at the Rosauers store at University City Feb. 3-5. Shots are available today and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the health District, 1101 W. College.