The increased occurrence and spread of Hepatitis A in the Nitra region has prompted a coordination meeting of experts to address the situation, said Health Minister Kamil Šaško (Hlas-SD) on Tuesday, adding that his ministry is ready to take the necessary steps to stop the spread of the disease if the need arises.
According to Šaško, the ministry is monitoring the situation on a daily basis in cooperation with experts. Higher occurrence levels have been reported in the Nitra region in the districts of Komarno, Levice, and Nove Zamky.
Katarina Tinakova from the Regional Public Health Authority in Nitra said that regional authorities are adopting district-level measures immediately after cases are reported, while monitoring the situation on a daily basis and checking compliance with the imposed measures.
According to experts, prevention is key. The Ministry's chief expert in general care for children and adolescents Elena Prokopova said that vaccination against hepatitis A is voluntary unless imposed by the regional public health authority.
"It is administered in two doses, and we currently have enough vaccines to handle the situation in the Nitra region," she said.
During the past week, 99 new cases of hepatitis A have been reported across Slovakia, with the highest number, 53 cases, present in the Nitra region.
Source: TASR
