Free hepatitis A vaccines are being offered to community members of the Peguis First Nation.
They will also be offered for free to visitors and close contacts aged six months and older amid an ongoing outbreak.
The vaccine is effective in preventing infection.
As of January 18, there have been 308 cases of hepatitis A virus associated with this outbreak across Manitoba, mainly spread through person-to-person contact. If you have been exposed to hepatitis A, several symptoms could develop. They include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, clay-coloured stools, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
If you are a Peguis First Nation member, have travelled to or are working on the First Nation, or have household visitors from the First Nation, you can get a hepatitis A vaccine through your primary care provider.
Those with mild symptoms often recover within one to two weeks. It can spread through contaminated water, food, and close contact with someone who has the infection, even if they don't have any symptoms. Washing your hands with soap and water after using the toilet, handling diapers, and before eating or preparing food can help prevent infection.
For more information on hepatitis A, visit here.
