Release
Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, declared that the ongoing outbreak of Hepatitis A in Philadelphia is a public health emergency and has directed health care providers and governmental and non-governmental agencies to help vaccinate those most at risk for the infection in order to stop the outbreak. As part of the Philadelphia Resilience Project, the City of Philadelphia will be expanding its own outreach to vaccinate homeless persons and others at greatest risk.
Philly Voice
Philadelphia officials have declared a public health emergency over an outbreak of Hepatitis A that has become a growing concern in 2019.
Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced the public health emergency Thursday afternoon, directing health care providers and agencies to vaccinate those at the highest risk of infection.
https://www.phillyvoice.com/hepatitis-a-philadelphia-emergency-public-health-outbreak-vaccine/
By Michael Tanenbaum
KYW
“It’ll make it easier for us to mobilize doctors and other medical providers to offer vaccination to people when they come in contact with the medical system,” said Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, “and for us to use our resources to vaccinate people who may not come in contact with a medical system, such as people living on the street.”
By Andrew Kramer
Fox29
The health department says the city usually sees between two to six cases of Hepatitis A per year. Since January, the department has been notified of 154 cases.
By Jeff Cole
Patch
Since July 2018, the Health Department has coordinated the vaccination of 1,775 people considered at-risk, and reports that more than 12,439 total Hepatitis A vaccinations have been given in the city.
Because these efforts have not been sufficient to end the outbreak, the Health Department is mobilizing with this declaration of emergency to vaccinate tens of thousands of additional at-risk folks.
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/chestnuthill/health-emergency-declared-philly-due-hepatitis-outbreak
By Max Bennett
CBS3
Philadelphia has declared a public health emergency as hepatitis A cases continue to skyrocket. A major source of the problem is human feces on city streets.
By Staff
CNN
“While there’s not an exact cause that we can pinpoint, Philadelphia had been in the grip of the opioid crisis, which the Health Commissioner had called the worst epidemic here in more than a century,” James Garrow, spokesman for Philadelphia Department of Public Health, told CNN in an email.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/02/health/philadelphia-hepatitis-a-epidemic/index.html
By Susan Scutti
6ABC 1
“We don’t want anyone to contract Hepatitis A, and we have the ability to stop this outbreak. Now that we have a safe and effective vaccine, the most important action we can take is for everyone at high risk to be vaccinated,” Dr. Thomas Farley, health commissioner in Philadelphia.
https://6abc.com/health/hepatitis-a-outbreak-public-health-emergency-declared-in-philly-/5435844/
By Christie Ileto
AP
Officials in Philadelphia have declared a public health emergency due to an ongoing outbreak of Hepatitis A.
Health care providers have been directed to help vaccinate those most at risk for infection to stop the outbreak.
By Staff
Inquirer
In light of that, the city stepped up vaccinations last year. But it wasn’t enough. In its emergency declaration, the city encouraged health-care providers to begin offering hepatitis A vaccines to groups at risk of contracting the disease. The city Public Health Department has vaccinated 1,775 people since last July, and more than 12,000 people have been vaccinated in Philadelphia as a whole in that time period.
“One of the key purposes of the declaration is to mobilize the medical community,” Farley said. “We’re optimistic we can contain it if we vaccinate people at risk.”
https://www.inquirer.com/health/hepatitis-a-outbreak-emergency-philadelphia-20190801.html
By Aubrey Whelan
WHYY
The city is calling on health care providers, as well as government and non-government agencies, to help vaccinate residents with the “greatest risk” of contracting the liver disease — including drug users, homeless people, and recently released inmates.
Those who have had close contact with them should also be vaccinated, said Health Commissioner Thomas Farley.
https://whyy.org/articles/philly-declares-public-health-emergency-as-hepatitis-a-infections-surge/
By Aaron Moselle
US News and World Report
Officials in Philadelphia have confirmed 154 hepatitis A cases so far this year, with the “vast majority” occurring since May, according to the emergency declaration from Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. The city, which typically sees two to nine reports of hepatitis Aper year, is investigating other potential cases as well.
By Gabby Galvin
6ABC 2
Health officials in Philadelphia continue efforts to control an outbreak of Hepatitis A. Free vaccinations were offered to people in Kensington on Tuesday.
A little pinch for protection.Outside the McPherson Square Library, workers from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health were set up to offer free Hepatitis A vaccinations.
By Staff
KYW 2
Health officials in Philadelphia have declared a public health emergency over the ongoing hepatitis A outbreak. Health Commissioner Thomas Farley explains what exactly the virus is and what the symptoms are.
By Staff
The Collected Works of Jim Garrow 