Vaccines or handwashing?
From the LA Times yesterday: In response to a series of hepatitis A outbreaks at restaurants and catered events across L.A., county officials said Tuesday they might require food-service workers in all 25,000 eateries to be vaccinated for the virus. Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's director of public health, said workers who prepare uncooked food such as salads are most likely to pass on the disease, especially if they do not wear gloves. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the risk of infection even then was very low. At $200 a per person and more than 100,000 food handlers, a workforce moblity of 100% a year, it might cost half a billion dollars to protect against 200 people a year reportedly infected. This is assuming that all foodhandlers become immunized. Maybe handwashing enforcement is simpler.