EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
On Saturday, the Vanderburgh County Health Department says it is continuing to vaccinate those who may have been exposed to Hepatitis A while eating at the Lone Star Steakhouse.
Lone Star reopened Saturday afternoon after voluntarily closing last week, and local health officials are encouraging anyone who ate there between April 29 and May 3 to get a free vaccination at the Vanderburgh County Health Department.
"We continue to have our Hepatitis A vaccination clinics. We're going to have them daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from now until Thursday," said Chris Allen with the Vanderburgh County Health Department.
The steakhouse's location at Eastland Shopping Center reopened Saturday for the first time since discovering one of its employees contracted the disease. Local health officials say they have closely examined the restaurant and that they have given Lone Star a clean bill of health.
"As of 4:00 p.m. today, we have reopened our restaurant located at Eastland Place Shopping Center and are currently serving our customers. We were notified by the Vanderburgh County Health Department that one of our employees was being evaluated and treated for Hepatitis A. Despite the health department saying our restaurant was all clear, we chose to voluntarily close our location at Eastland Place Shopping Center as a precaution for our customers and employees. We are cooperating fully with the county and state health departments and will continue to respond and address any questions or concerns," said Beard.
Bob Harp says he and his wife regularly eat at Lone Star. He says that he was vaccinated on Saturday and that he still views Lone Star as a quality establishment.
"I hope people don't get upset and not come there just because of that. Because, like I said, any restaurant can have the same problem. It's a clean place. It really is," said Harp.
The county health department says anyone who ate there between April 20 and May 3 could have been exposed to the disease. But they also say that the window for an effective vaccination is within 14 days of exposure, and that the shots will only be made available to those who ate at Lone Star between April 29 and May 3.
Officials say if you have symptoms of Hepatitis A like fever, nausea, and jaundice you should seek medical attention.
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