County re-starting vaccinations
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clark County Health Department (CCHD) in March decided to suspend all immunization clinics, as a way to decrease the footprint into the courthouse. Normally, the CCHD holds a walk-in immunization clinic at the Health Department in Neillsville, every Monday, from 2:30-4 p.m. Regularly scheduled immunization clinics typically held off-site were also canceled.
The decision to cancel the immunization clinics was a difficult one.
“We strongly advocate for parents and families to adhere to the recommended childhood immunization schedule. This recommendation still stands during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to cancel immunization clinics at the Health Department was made to protect the health and safety of those families coming into the courthouse, as well as my staff,” said Brittany Mews, Clark County Health Department Director/ Health Officer.
As looser guidance is allowing the reopening of businesses and services, the CCHD too would like to support the slow reopening of their essential services, to include some immunization clinics. At this time, the CCHD will be offering vaccinations to children and families by appointment only, every Monday, from 2:30-4 p.m., starting on Monday, May 4.
“It will be important to stagger the appointment times, to practice safe social distancing and to allow for time between appointments, so staff can properly sanitize our immunization room between clients,” said Kelsey Wussow, Clark County Health Department Lead Public Health Nurse.
To request an appointment, individuals should call the CCHD’s main phone number at 715-743-5105. On the day of the appointment, a Public Health Nurse (PHN) will call to ensure that all persons presenting to the Health Department for the immunization appointment are well. Upon entering the courthouse (doors are locked), the PHN will greet individuals wearing a mask, and will provide a mask to all individuals able to wear one.
At this time, the CCHD is not yet ready to reintroduce off-site immunization clinics. Therefore, the regularly scheduled immunization clinic, scheduled to be held on May 18 at the Clark County Rehabilitation and Living Center will be canceled.
“We hope to get back to our normal immunization clinic schedule as soon as it is safe to do so. Keeping children on schedule with their recommended childhood vaccines is very important to us,” added Mews.