HOUSTON -- Hundreds of Houstonians waited in line for hours on Tuesday to get a shot to prevent hepatitis A, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The people who lined up ate or worked at Pappasito's Cantina on the North Freeway near Airtex Drive while a waiter who was later diagnosed with the disease was infectious.

The average wait time to receive the shot was more than two hours at times. Health officials screened individuals to be sure they were eligible before receiving the shot.

As of 1:30 p.m., more than 400 people received the free shots.

"I'm just glad we knew about it because we were just in town for her birthday and were in Victoria and I saw it on the news yesterday. So, I thought -- guess we better do this," said Elaine Arganbright, who received a shot.

"We have had some persons state that they are experiencing symptoms and we do have our screeners who have been trained to direct them in the right manner," said Dr. Umair Shah with the Harris County Health Department.

Health officials said immune globulin shots can prevent the disease from developing if they are received a maximum of two weeks after potential exposure.

Employees and diners at the restaurant on the following dates may have been exposed:

Jan. 23-27 Jan. 30-31 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 7-9

Health officials made the shots available to diners or employees who were at the restaurant Feb. 7-9.

The free shots are available at the Mangum-Howell Center in the 2500 block of Frick Road beginning Tuesday through Thursday. Employees and diners can receive the shots from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Hepatitis A passes from person to person. Most people recover without any major long-term health problems.

A person with the virus is infectious from about two weeks before to one week after the person experiences jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Infants and children do not always show symptoms.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include:

Extreme tiredness
Fever
Nausea and/or vomiting
Stomach pain or diarrhea
Light-colored stool or dark, rust-colored urine
Jaundice

Officials said the best way to protect against Hepatitis A is to thoroughly wash hands with soap and water.

A hotline has been setup to give the public more information about Hepatitis A. The hotline is available Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 713-212-0200.

Information is also available online at www.hcphes.org.