County health official wants vaccinations to become mandatory
By Sharon Haddock
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — The head of Utah County’s health department thinks asking all restaurant employees to get Hepatitis A shots is a no-brainer. After all, an outbreak would deal a very harsh blow to any restaurant.
That’s why Dr. Joe Miner says the Utah County Board of Health should make vaccinations mandatory for workers in food establishments.
But the suggestion has left a bad taste in the mouths of Utah Valley restaurant owners, and at least one member of the county health board — the owner of two popular Utah Valley restaurants — isn’t convinced the county needs a vaccination policy for food-service workers.
“It doesn’t really get spread through restaurants at all,” said Craig Witham, the board member who owns the Los Hermanos restaurants in Provo and Lindon. “(Hepatitis) isn’t airborne like some diseases, and restaurant owners don’t want Hepatitis A associated with food services.”

Hepatitis A — or what used to be known as infectious Hepatitis — is spread hand-to-mouth after exposure to contaminated feces. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, usually accompanied by a fever and jaundice.
The vaccine is extremely effective, even with only the initial dose. Three shots over six months are required for a person to be fully vaccinated.
Owners who require their employees to get the shots must either pay the additional cost — about $25 for each injection — or ask employees to bear that cost.
Some insurance companies cover the cost but not all.
Since many food-service workers are earning a minimum wage that can be a hardship, Witham said.
It also is difficult to make certain every employee receives the required series of shots since there’s a fairly high turnover rate in the industry.
Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said she doesn’t support the effort because restaurant owners are already taking steps to ensure the public’s health and safety.
She said it becomes essentially an unfunded mandate — a law requiring compliance without any money attached to pay for it.
Miner said it’s true that Utah County hasn’t had problems with Hepatitis A outbreaks — but the potential is there and the fallout would be devastating to a business.
A major outbreak stemming from exposure in a busy restaurant could involve thousands of customers and their families, as well as any out-of-state visitors. They all would need to be given gamma globulin, a shot that would create a rapid but temporary immunity, to help them regain full health.
“I think it’s an important thing to do,” Miner said. “The vaccine is so effective. Let’s use it.”
Miner said if there’s major resistance to the mandatory shots, he will instead suggest the industry adopt a “no bare hands” policy — a suggestion found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code, a reference guide for food-control agencies when they are creating and adopting policies aimed at preventing foodborne illness.
“That means no ready-to-eat food should be touched with bare hands at any point in the process,” Miner said.
Miner said if a food handler has Hepatitis A and works at a restaurant but wears gloves, it doesn’t become a crisis.
Miner said since the board has been discussing the possibility he’s been hearing from a lot of residents and restaurant owners and workers. “It’s pretty much been all negative,” he said.
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. in room 1600 in the Health and Justice Building, 151 S. University Ave., Provo.