Health department board discusses H1N1, KIDS COUNT

The health department still has vaccine in stock for those who are interested in being inoculated, Donnell said.

"We still have quit a bit of the mist left," he said.

However, some of the vaccines have been recalled because of a low efficacy, and others have had the expiration date shortened. These changes have affected mostly the supply of vaccines for children.

In other public health business, Board President Stephen Allegri mentioned the most recent KIDS COUNT report, which says that the teen pregnancy rate in Saline County is the 70th lowest in Missouri, out of 114 counties.

"It's kind of an alarming statistic," he said. "To me, we are failing somewhere in Saline County. ... Is there something we can do to change those statistics?"

Health Department Administrator Lisa Thomas said she and Donnell would consider what else the department could do to improve the situation.

Currently, the health department provides birth control pill packs for $10 each, and the three-month injected contraceptive costs $35. Board member Roberta Griffitt noted that the latter is about the same price as a week's worth of diapers.

The health department also offers condoms free of charge.

In other business, Thomas said the department is receiving $2,628 in federal economic stimulus funds from the state to use toward holding immunization clinics at area schools.

Despite the small amount, Thomas said, "It's a good thing. It's good to be out there."

She said starting next school year, all eighth-grade students will need tetanus booster shots, and these clinics will help to administer those; currently, a tetanus booster is given at age 15 or 10 years after the previous shot.

The department's first clinic will be some time in March, with the last one scheduled for March 2011. The total cost will be about $10,000.

In other areas of the health department's budget, however, state funding will be cut slightly. Thomas said the reduction will be about 8 percent, taken off invoices of March, April and May. This will amount to about $1,000 of revenue lost.

Donnell said he is consulting with local HVAC businesses in an attempt to reduce the heating and cooling costs at the health department.

"They're going to help us develop a plan" of ways to improve, he said. "We're going to see what we can do for the least amount of money."

Board members Sara Kirchhoff, Virgie Simmerman and Joby Raines were also present at the meeting. The board's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, at 7 p.m.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net

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