The San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency is hosting a free Hepatitis A vaccination event on Thursday at the East Region Public Health Center on Magnolia Avenue.

The County stresses that anyone who received a vaccine before December 2017 is due for a second dose. Food handlers are especially encouraged to get vaccinated as Hepatitis A can be spread through food preparation or handling.

The first dose is considered about 95 percent effective, but eventually, the protection starts to decrease. A second vaccination boots immunity for 20 to 40 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past 16 months, more than 150,000 first does and 18,000 second doses have been administered in San Diego. The vaccine is recommended in two does, with the second dose at least six months after the first.

Regardless of where a first dose was received, people can get a second dose from the County-sponsored event, a health care provider, pharmacy or public health center.

Last year, San Diego suffered the worst Hepatitis A outbreak in the United States in 20 years. The outbreak killed 20 people and sickened 577 people between November 2016 and October 2017.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by a virus. It is usually transmitted person-to-person or by consuming contaminated food or water. Symptoms include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice.

The event will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday at 367 N. Magnolia Avenue.