Health board defends hepatitis A reaction
Vaccination programme to begin at North Muirton
NHS Tayside has said there is “no need” to carry out tests on North Muirton Primary School children after concerns were raised over a hepatitis A outbreak.
A letter was sent out to parents on Monday, November 26 stating there had been a case of hepatitis A in a child at North Muirton Primary School and, as a result, a considerable number of the 228 school children will be vaccinated today, November 30.
However, Dr Daniel Chandler, consultant in public health medicine for NHS Tayside, has defended the decision to avoid testing as it “could delay vaccination”.
This comes after one concerned parent complained that, despite North Muirton Primary School getting vaccinations for all children, they should also receive further testing.
The parent said: “The health board was contacted and they have said they have advised GPs not to test children.
“We, as parents, should have the right to have our children tested. They advised this is not a serious outbreak but if it’s not serious why are they vaccinating a whole school?
“Why are we only being informed now?
“They want to inject our children but are saying it’s not serious. There has been a lot of calls in regards to this as parents are extremely unhappy that their kids aren’t getting tested.”
In response, Dr Chandler said: “Vaccination against hepatitis A is being offered as a precaution for children who may have come into contact with the infection.
“Clinical guidance is clear that there is no need to carry out any testing for children with no symptoms.
“The vaccine is being offered as a precautionary measure to protect them against any potential risk of being infected.
“We would like to reassure parents that the risk to children in the school is low.
“Testing in children who aren’t showing any signs of illness could delay vaccination, and if the result was clear, it wouldn’t change the advice to have the vaccine.
“If a child has symptoms or if there are any concerns, parents should consult their GP.
“Hepatitis A is usually a mild illness, especially in children, and most people will clear the infection in under two months.
“For anyone who doesn’t have symptoms, there is no need for medical treatment or any special precautions. A deep clean is also planned at the school as a routine precautionary measure.”
The symptoms of the hepatitis A virus include fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting and can sometimes lead to jaundice due to inflammation of the liver and can be contracted by consuming contaminated food or water. It can also spread from someone with the infection to others in the same environment.
It can be prevented by good hygiene, especially washing hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet and before preparing food or eating.