Penza, 22 August 2012. PenzaNews. According to the results of inspections of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the region, 198 residents of the Penza region have been in contact with hepatitis A infected people.

“It was found out that there are 198 contacted people. All of them are under doctors’ supervision,” said Minister of Health and Social Development of the Penza region Vladimir Stryuchkov at the meeting on the increasing number of hepatitis A cases in the Penza region on Wednesday, August 22.

The minister noted that those who have had contact with hepatitis A infected people as well as school and kindergarten children are being vaccinated.

“We need to vaccinate 980 children, 644 of them had already been vaccinated. Immunization is planned to be completed by August 27,” Vladimir Stryuchkov concluded.

As previously reported, 40 cases of hepatitis A were recorded in the Penza region since the beginning of 2012, which is 52.6% higher than over that same span last year.

The last outbreak of hepatitis A was registered in the Penza region in 2003.