Skip to main content
Pepperdine | Community

Health Alerts

The Student Health Center is committed to providing important and timely information on current health concerns. Please check below for any information we have as well as best practices to keep you safe and healthy.

Current Health Alerts

  Hepatitis A Outbreak in Los Angeles County

On May 5th, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health declared an outbreak of hepatitis A in the Los Angeles community due to increased clinical cases and elevated virus levels detected in local wastewater.  While LACDPH states the risk to the general public remains low, the following information can help ensure that transmission of hepatitis A is reduced.

Take Preventative Measures: 

  • Practice good hygiene, including proper handwashing with soap and water, especially before eating or preparing food and after using the bathroom
  • Vaccination: The hepatitis A vaccine is safe, effective, and offers long-term protection. It is typically a two dose vaccine series administered 6 months apart and is available for all registered students at the Student Health Center.

Know the Risk Factors:

  • Poor hygiene, especially unwashed hands following toileting
  • Close contact with an infected individual, including, but not limited to, sharing utensils or food, eating food prepared by the infected person, unprotected sex
  • Travel to places with a higher incidence of hepatitis A or poor sanitation

Know the Symptoms:

Hepatitis A symptoms typically appear a few weeks after you've had the virus. But not everyone with hepatitis A develops symptoms. If you do, symptoms can include:

  • Fever
  • Unusual tiredness and weakness
  • Sudden nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs, which is over your liver
  • Clay- or gray-colored stool
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Low-grade fever
  • Dark urine
  •  Joint pain
  • Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
  • Intense itching

These symptoms may be relatively mild and go away in a few weeks. Sometimes, however, hepatitis A results in a severe illness that lasts several months.

About Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. 

Although rare, hepatitis A can cause death in some people. Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person.

Infection can be prevented by vaccination after a known exposure to a person with infectious hepatitis A. While prompt vaccination is likely to prevent infection, infection may occur in those who receive vaccination too late.

For questions about the disease or the vaccine, speak to your primary care provider. Practitioners at the Student Health Center are available by appointment to all registered students. 

For more Information: 

  Increase in Domestic Measles Cases

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued an increase in domestic measles cases advisory. Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease where one infected person can infect up to 9 out of 10 susceptible close contacts. In light of the recent increase in cases, the Student Health Center would like to emphasize the following key messages:

  • Measles cases are increasing in the U.S., with ongoing outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico, and New Jersey, along with continued increased international activity. Most cases are among children and adolescents who were not vaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, resulting in hospitalizations and the first reported measles death in a decade in an unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas. So far this year, eleven measles cases have been confirmed among California residents living outside of Los Angeles County, including at least 1 case that traveled through LAX.
  • The MMR vaccine is offered at the Student Health Center free of charge as part of your Thrive Wellness Program. Up-to-date measles vaccines (MMR or MMRV) or evidence of immunity are required by the university to protect the students and the community, especially those who are unable to be vaccinated due to health issues. To prevent measles outbreaks, a vaccination rate of 95% or higher is needed.
  • Watch for the signs of measles, especially if you've traveled recently, and contact the Student Health Center or your health care provider immediately if you experience the following: high fever (104) that spikes quickly, febrile rash - a rash that occurs with fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, and red watery eyes, especially if you are not immunized. It is important that you immediately isolate, wear a mask, and call the Student Health Center or your healthcare office first - do NOT show up in person before alerting the healthcare office of your symptoms - so you can receive the proper instructions and manage the potential spread of illness.


Read more about measles:
• Who’s at Risk, How it Spreads, and More
• Images 
• California Department of Public Health Website 
• Immunization Recommendation

  Palisades Fire Resources

In our ongoing efforts to support your health and wellbeing during the wildfires, the Student Health Center is highlighting the following resources available to students:

Pepperdine Resources:

  • The Student Health and Counseling Centers are open M - F, 8 AM - 5 PM, to address both physical and mental health needs.
  • The Timely Care app may be accessed 24/7 for virtual health and counseling appointments.
  • The Student Care Team stands ready to assist students with fire-related losses or needs.
  • N95 Masks are available for pick up at the HAWC, the Payson Library circulation desk, and the Student Affairs front desk free of charge.
  • The University Emergency Information Website is updated regularly to keep students informed with current fire related information.
  • President's Briefing Recap - Palisades Fire highlights information pertaining to the effects of the fire on the Pepperdine Community and available resources.

LA County Resources: