The Marion County Health Department Board will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccines.
The decision came at Tuesday night’s meeting where a balanced budget totaling $1.9-million dollars was approved for the fiscal year beginning December 1st.
Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says it includes a $150,000 COVID-19 vaccination grant that will be used to pay staff and cover supplies used in giving the shots.
“We’ve decided that we are going to go ahead and purchase the new updated Covid 19 vaccine and we will hopefully have it in the next couple of weeks. We will let the public know. Our game plan is to offer it at both Salem and Centralia offices. We will have it for children and adults.”
The health department is also receiving several other new grants. They include a $350,000 grant to retain staff through wage increases and increased training. A 5-percent wage increase is in the budget. The budget also includes a new $10,000 grant to enforce the Smoke Free Illinois Act, $4,125 for a tick surveillance program, and $2,000 grant for Prenatal Hep B Prevention that will allow a nurse to provide follow up to infants with hepatitis B.
Mallow announced free gun locks are still available at both the Salem and Centralia offices. 300 have been given away and another 200 are available.
There have been seven cases of Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from tick bites investigated during the past two months. While West Nile virus has been confirmed in most neighboring counties, so far there has not been confirmation from mosquito batches or through dead birds in Marion County.
Director of Environmental Health Sean Lemmon reported the checking of food vendors at festivals in the area has gone much smoother this year.
