More than 1,200 who ate at Clinton Waffle House inoculated so far
By KRISTI L. NELSON, nelsonk@knews.com
April 21, 2005
More than 1,200 people who ate at the Waffle House restaurant in Clinton received immune serum globulin to prevent hepatitis A on the first two days of a mass clinic.
Members of East Tennessee Regional Health Office and Anderson County Health Department set up the clinic at the Tennessee National Guard Armory on J.D. Yarnell Parkway in Clinton after ETRHO announced Tuesday that a Waffle House restaurant worker had tested positive for hepatitis A.
The serum will protect people exposed within 14 days. People who ate at the Waffle House, 2255 N. Charles Seivers Blvd. off Interstate 75 in Clinton, between April 7-15 can still receive the shot 8 a.m.-8 p.m. today and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, April 22. Those who consumed iced beverages or uncooked foods – such as salads, toppings or garnishes (lemon wedges, lettuce on a sandwich) – are at highest risk for the virus, which causes inflammation of the liver.

The health departments prepared to give 5,000 shots, estimating as many as 5,000 people may have eaten at the restaurant during the time of possible exposure to the virus. The health department hasn’t confirmed any cases of hepatitis that can be linked to the restaurant worker, but symptoms typically take a month to surface, said Dr. Paul Erwin, regional director of ETRHO.
Erwin said the restaurant worker may have been infected during an outbreak in Campbell County last month, which resulted in 17 confirmed cases of hepatitis A. None of those people were restaurant workers, and the health department has not been able to confirm the source of that outbreak, but Erwin said he believes there is no on-going exposure to the virus in Campbell County.
ETRHO set up a phone bank with both local and toll-free numbers to handle questions about hepatitis A; it received more than 400 calls on Tuesday. Those numbers, active 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., are 865-549-5307 and 866-852-6710.
Kristi L. Nelson may be reached at 865-342-6434. She is health writer for the News Sentinel.