Utah County health board shuns mandatory hepatitis A vaccine
By Sharon Haddock
Deseret Morning News
November 23, 2004
PROVO — It was the food fight that wasn’t.
Those who came to a public hearing Monday prepared to argue against mandatory hepatitis A shots for food handlers didn’t have to fight after all.
The Utah County Board of Health opted to pursue a “no bare hands” policy instead.
That means those in the restaurant and fast-food industry may need to put on gloves before preparing any ready-to-eat food or use tongs or spatulas to serve and move food.
The proposal must go through a public-approval process before the board can vote on it. The earliest the board would be able to vote on it would be March.

Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of the county health department, said he’s been flooded with comments from the restaurant industry, elected officials and people on the state environmental health board.
Overwhelmingly, Miner said, feedback from those people said the burden on the industry outweighs the need to require the shots. The proposal, they said, was overkill.
Miner said he is still concerned that an outbreak — although rare — can cause hundreds and even thousands of people to become ill while avoiding the problem is fairly simple because the vaccine is so effective.
“But we can also avoid the problem with a ‘no bare hands’ policy,” he said. “It’s probably a more acceptable alternative.”
Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said children must receive the shots before they can register for school. “That’s where we’ll take care of the problem,” she said.
Restaurant owners have resisted asking employees to get the shots because it would cost an extra $28 per employee. Plus, fast-food workers are not known for longevity, and many employees leave the restaurant’s employ before they finish the vaccinations.
Some also say hepatitis A is not as big a problem as other diseases because it is not airborne.
Craig Witham, a board member and owner of Los Hermanos restaurants, asked the board to request research on imposing the no bare hands policy.
Witham said he already requires his employees to use gloves.
Sine said many restaurants in the state do the same and it’s already required in several other counties.
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com