MORE than 40 people connected with a day nursery in Rhyl will be offered vaccinations tomorrow following a family outbreak of Hepatitis A.

A vaccination session for staff and children at the Fun Days nursery, Seabank Road, will be held on Thursday after a child attending the premises was confirmed to have infection.

There are four confirmed cases of the infection in the outbreak, being investigated by Public Health Wales with the environmental health departments of Conwy and Denbighshire county councils.

Vaccination at the nursery is being offered as a precaution as Hepatitis A spreads easily between young children. 

The child confirmed with Hepatitis A did not contract the infection while at nursery. There is also no link between this and the outbreak of Hepatitis A at Ysgol Dewi Sant, Rhyl, reported earlier this year. 

Dr Christopher Johnson, Consultant in Health Protection for Public Health Wales, said: "Hepatitis A is a viral infection, usually short lived that has unpleasant symptoms but is rarely serious. Children often only have a very mild illness or do not have symptoms at all.

"Symptoms can include flu-like illness such as tiredness, general aches and pains, headaches and fever, as well as loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pains, jaundice, very dark urine and itchy skin. 

"Good handwashing after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food is the best way to prevent the virus spreading.

"Children may pass the virus onto others without having symptoms so we are reminding parents to encourage good hand washing at all times."

People are advised to contact their own GP or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 if they have any concerns about their health or their child’s health.  Hepatitis A vaccination is not routinely offered on the NHS as the infection is rare in the UK.

Further information about hepatitis A is available on the Public Health Wales website.

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