Moist, damp places, such as locker rooms, where young athletes who injure themselves share close quarters, can be breeding grounds for hepatitis, Adams said. Ann Waltz, a registered nurse at the Leon County Health Department who oversees immunizations, said that although most Leon County sixth-graders have already started the Hepatitis B series of shots, some have not. The free clinics were created to accommodate working parents who may not be able to bring their children in during the week, said Waltz. It takes time for the body to build up antibodies to protect itself. Parents should bring copies of their child's immunization records.
All shots are free for children.
In addition to childhood vaccinations, the health department also offers hepatitis tests and vaccinations for adults. There is a fee for adults who seek testing or shots. Mothers can transmit hepatitis to their infants, and it is also possible for health-care workers who are accidentally stuck with infected needles to get it. Until recently, blood transfusions were the most frequent cause of Hepatitis C transmission, according to the National Institutes of Health. But since 1990, blood banks in the United States have screened donated blood for HCV and HBV, discarding any blood that appears to be infected.