None of the bills proposed would mandate restaurants to give shots to all workers. Nor would they effect the current rights to sue for damages by patrons who become infected from contaminated food. Hepatitis A infections occur because of poor sanitary habits. The disease attacks the liver, and symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea, low fever, pale stools, yellowish skin and eyes, dark urine and loss of appetite. While the disease is rarely fatal, a Postal Service employee from St. Louis did die after contracting hepatitis A in January.
Children are most vulnerable, health officials say.
For that reason, Walker said she wants to mandate the vaccination of all children. Rep. Todd Akin, R-St. Louis County, takes a somewhat different approach. Akin would waive that liability for restaurants that vaccinate their workers and follow the Health Department's food-handling procedures. Workers would be exempt from liability if they refused vaccination for philosophical or religious reasons.