As part of an ongoing regional effort to stop the hepatitis A outbreak by immunizing at-risk individuals, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fennessy and American Medical Response will launch a new program to empower firefighters and paramedics to administer vaccinations.
In partnership with the City’s ambulance provider American Medical Response, the new program pairs firefighters with registered nurses to conduct vaccinations in hotspots across the city. The program is set to launch next week.
On Tuesday, county health officials reported the 18th death in the San Diego region's hepatitis A outbreak, among 490 total cases.
The county Health and Human Services Agency traced the outbreak to last November, with just under two-thirds of the victims being either homeless and/or drug users. Details on the latest fatality were not provided.