According to the Quad-City Times, the Rock Island County Health Department announced this morning that it has scheduled a series of February clinics designed to get a second dose of hepatitis A vaccine to people who were inoculated last summer in connection with an outbreak of the disease.

A health department spokesperson said a second dose of the vaccine or Immunoglobulin is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, or CDC, six months or more after a first dose to provide the maximum protection available through immunization.

The people who should receive a second dose are those who consumed products originating from the McDonald’s restaurant in Milan, Ill., during July 2009.

The clinics will be 8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. on Thursdays this month: Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25. They will be held at the Rock Island County Health Department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. The clinics will be held on a walk-in basis, with no appointment needed.

The cost is $30, regardless of one’s county of residence; cash or check only (no debit/credit cards).

The original vaccinations were free because the shots were provided as a public health response to an outbreak and were administered to prevent illness in those possibly exposed to hepatitis A and to control the further spread of the disease. Since the second dose is not part of the outbreak response, there is a moderate charge to cover the cost of the vaccine itself. The department is not charging for administering the shots. The customary fee for a hepatitis vaccination at the health department would be $45.

In July 2009, there were two different injections administered, depending upon the client’s age. People through the age of 40 years received Hepatitis A vaccine. People 41 years and older received Immunoglobulin.

Those who received Immunoglobulin, not a first dose of hepatitis A vaccine, are encouraged to attend one of the Thursday clinics to receive their first dose of the vaccine. A small number of people received their first dose of vaccine from another health-care provider. They are welcome to attend health department clinics.