Marion County Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow told the county health board Tuesday night that multiple vaccination clinics are continuing as they try and get shots into arms. She reported the department is also getting additional state funding to support the effort.
“The health department has been approved for the IDPH’s Mask Vaccination Grant. The grant is for $150,000. It is to help us purchase various supplies for the clinics and obviously help reimburse us for our staff pay and overtime that they might accrue. The check is literally sitting on the Comptroller’s desk and we will receive it in a lump sum payment.”
Mallow says they are now doing vaccination clinics on alternating weeks at the Calumet Street Christian Church in Centralia and First Christian Church in Salem in addition to smaller clinics at their offices on Monday and Wednesday. In addition, Salem Township Hospital and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, the Walmarts in Salem and Centralia, and Walgreens in Centralia are providing vaccinations as well.
Mallow reported the health department has hired four part-time temporary workers to do the contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases and the county has been notified by state public health officials 100-percent of their contact tracing is being completed.
“Our full-time staff that was doing contact tracing is now handling the influx of calls from the public to be put on our vaccination list, setting up people for the mass vaccination clinics, and then obviously working the clinics while still doing their normal jobs. My staff has been a Godsend, they truly have been a blessing. I can’t say thanks enough to everyone who has stepped up.”
Mallow says they have already provided vaccinations to several manufacturing plants as well as other special groups qualifying along with those 65 and older and those under 65 with health conditions that are included in the 1 B group.
The board was told the only reaction to the vaccine that has been reported is short-term in nature, usually going away in 24 to 72 hours.
The latest numbers from the Illinois Department of Public Health indicate 3,851 Marion County residents are now fully vaccinated, just over 10-percent of the population. A total of 10,367 shots have been administered.
While testing for sexually transmitted diseases has been stopped due to COVID, 36 cases have been reported in the past three months.
The annual audit showed the health department with a positive balance of $783,483 at the end of the fiscal year on December 1st, with expenses topping revenue for the past year by $32,488.
