ROCK ISLAND, Illinois—
More than one thousand people came out Monday to be vaccinated for Hepatitis A. But thousands more may have been exposed. Just based on the crowds at Rock Island High School clinic Monday afternoon the Milan McDonald's was very busy this July. And many are not happy that eating a happy meal or catching a quick meal led to worrying about Hepatitis A.Families, adults and children all lined up to get their free shot because they ate at the McDonald's in Milan July 6th through the 10th or the 13th and 14th.
Andrea Elliot who lives in Milan says, "I couldn't remember exactly when I ate there so I definitely was getting her vaccinated, I got myself vaccinated and her Granpa is in there."
Her daughter Kaylea shows the band-aid she got from inside and at 6 years-old she can tell me what she ate for it.
"Chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers."
She's not the only kid.
I asked 4 year-old Olivia Dahl, "Did it hurt?" And she just shook her head yes.
Olivia and her little brother Eli from Joy went to Milan to play at the Play Place earlier this month.
Their mother, Jennifer says, "It's really frustrating. We live an hour away so this is a like a special day for us then we have to turn around and come back here and do this doesn't seem quite fair."
There were frustrations all over.
Janelle Schweickhardt says, "It's ridiculous. It's so ridiculous. When I worked fast food we had to wash our hands, we had to wear gloves, we had to clean our stations, now they don't even care now as long as you get the food out they don't care how clean it is."
Elliot adds, "I wish they would have told us a lot sooner because it went almost two weeks and nobody knows anything then all of a sudden I see this on the news I'm like woo."
The Rock Island County Health Department says there are 20 reported cases, 14 in Rock Island and 6 others in surrounding counties.
Theresa Foes says, "The first case we ever became aware of was Friday, July 10th and then interviews began Monday, July 13th."
It's those investigations they say led to this clinic with 150 public health workers from all over the state helping administer shots. And not everyone was upset.
Michael Ellis, from Davenport and who drove through the Milan drive-thru for lunch one day. He's wife is pregnant and with his daughter in his arms says, "At least it's just me, we caught it in time."
If you fit the criteria you are asked to go to the Rock Island High School clinic Tuesday between 10 am and 6 pm. They say it should take anywhere between 7 and 10 minutes to go through the whole process.
As for the McDonalds, it's open for business but many people I spoke to say they won't be coming back The Rock Island County health department says it's still interested in tracking down the source of the outbreak, but the main concern right now is stopping the spread.
