> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # One big shot in the arm - URL: https://www.smdp.com/one-big-shot-in-the-arm/ - Published: 2007-03-08T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T00:12:33.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Health, Downtown, #archive-import *County considers vaccinating all food services employees* DOWNTOWN, LA More than 100,000 food service workers may soon have to take one for the team. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services plans to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether or not all food service workers in the county should be vaccinated for Hepatitis A, an inflammatory viral disease that affects the liver. The County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday night to direct Jonathan Fielding, county director of public health, and his staff to look into the costs associated with such a wide sweeping health provision. The announcement comes a week after it was discovered that a Wolfgang Puck Catering employee who worked at the Sports Illustrated party on Valentine’s Day in Los Angeles was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. “It’s the extension of the county’s effort to ensure safety and protection of the public from food borne illnesses,” said Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who made the motion for the feasibility study. The virus is usually spread from person to person by consuming something that has been contaminated by the feces of a person infected with Hepatitis A, according to the Center for Disease Control. Symptoms include jaundice, diarrhea, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue and loss of an appetite. The study by the Department of Health Services will also examine the potential impact on small businesses. It is still unclear who would be required to pay for the vaccinations — the county, employer or employee. The department is expected to report back to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days. “We want to make sure small businesses aren’t overly burdened, nor are workers,” Bell said.“At the same time, public safety is a top priority and we do want to ensure that families are confident when eating, when dining out or buying food at the grocery store, that the food is safe and children won’t be getting sick.” The potential requirement has members of Unite Here!, a union representing workers in the hotel, restaurant and food services industries, concerned about the impact on the workers that don’t have health insurance, said Paulina Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Unite Here! Local 11 in Los Angeles. Approximately 13,000 food service workers in the county have free health insurance under Unite Here!, but there are tens of thousands of non-union workers that aren’t covered. “If they’re going to be forced to foot the bill for these vaccinations, (the county) is going to put undue burden on them and their families and costing jobs for these people,” Gonzalez said. “A visit to the doctor alone can run close to $100\. If you’re making $7 an hour, that is almost two days of work for you to just pay for a doctor’s visit.” The California Restaurant Association (CRA) has yet to take a position on the proposed requirement. “At this time, we don’t know how many people it will affect or if the proposal includes all food handlers or all restaurant workers,” said Kearsten Shetherd, spokeswoman for the CRA. “We’re planning to work with the health department to ensure the safety of customers in more than 87,000 restaurants (in California).” In Santa Monica, the proposed vaccination effort was met with open arms by restaurant managers. “Safety first,” said Lauren Stone, the manager at Jinky’s Cafe on Second Street. “I would say the owner of the restaurant should pay for it.” Over at the Ye Olde Kings Head Shoppe on Santa Monica Boulevard, General Manager Peter Dolan believes all employees should be vaccinated, but wonders how the county will keep track to be sure that all food service workers are vaccinated. General Manager Mike Butler, of the Enterprise Fish Company on Kinney Street, wonders whether the vaccination is such a great idea. There are other ways to make restaurants safer, Butler said. A lot of health problems don’t come from the workers themselves, but from the ingredients, he said. “If it becomes a law, it’s something that we will obviously abide by,” Butler said. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but I’m wondering where the expense is. Who will pay for it?” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 8, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/030807.pdf?ref=smdp.com)