School offers vaccinations after cafeteria worker confirmed case of Hepatitis A

PASSAIC, N.J. – Teachers and employees at Passaic High School are being offered hepatitis A vaccinations after an employee was diagnosed with the contagious infection.

The employee reportedly worked in the teacher’s cafeteria. The vaccinations are voluntary and on Thursday will be offered to anyone who purchased food in the cafeteria between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30.

The district said students are not included on the list of people most likely to be infected, CBS2’s Andrea Grymes reported.

The school’s 3,000 students eat in a different cafeteria and based on a health department assessment there is no reason to believe the virus spread there, School Superintendent Pablo Munoz told The Record newspaper. Munoz says there’s been no spike in absenteeism.

The district told CBS2 in a statement, “While local health officials believe that the chance of students becoming ill is small, we will continue to take every precaution recommended by them.”

The teacher’s cafeteria was given an extensive cleaning and the employee has not returned to work.

1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck spoke with two seniors a few blocks from the school Wednesday because students have been instructed by school officials not to speak to the media, calling it a “private health matter.”

“One of the lunch ladies got hepatitis A and they gave us a notice to bring home,” one studentsaid. “It worries me, I’m not trying to get sick.”

“I think one of my teacher’s might’ve had it. She was sick, she was out for like two weeks, I think that’s what she had too,” another student said. “I try to stay sanitized. I use hand sanitizer, stay clean.”

School district officials notified parents Tuesday and urged them to look out for symptoms as a precaution.