The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is working with the County Department of Health to administer hepatitis A vaccines to people who are booked into jail.
The county said it has administered more than 4,000 vaccinations since the program began in May. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver infection caused by a virus that results in liver inflammation.
Deputy Chief Brian Lee said the Department of Health found more than half the hep A patients they tracked had been recently been booked into the county jail.
“Given the fact that our jail system often sees individuals that are drug users and quite possibly homeless, they decided that a 100% screening in the jail system would be a good place to start,” Lee said.
Lee said the Sheriff’s Office is providing detention officers to help facilitate the screening process.
He said the Sheriff’s Office supports the project because it will lessen the impact on the community when the inmates are released.
