205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 04/30/2015 - May is Hepatitis Awareness Month and the Kittitas County Public Health Department wants to encourage people to get vaccinated and to get tested
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by viruses, and the most common kinds of viral hepatitis in the United States are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. There are vaccinations available for both A and B, but not for C. Unlike hepatitis A, hepatitis B and C can become chronic infections that do not go away. Infections caused by both hepatitis B and C may have no symptoms until the liver has suffered severe damage. About 3.2 million in the US are living with chronic hepatitis C. Seventy five percent of those people are between the ages of 50 and 70. Many of those infected with hepatitis C do not know that they are infected. While we want everyone to be protected from all kinds of hepatitis, it is particularly important for those infected with hepatitis C to protect their liver from more damage by getting vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. The first step is to find out if you’re infected by getting tested. And effective treatments for hepatitis C are now available. KCPHD has free vaccine available for adults for hepatitis A and B. We also have free testing available for hepatitis C. Please call the Kittitas County Public Health Department at (509)962-7515 to schedule a vaccination appointment or a testing appointment.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, 509-962-7515