Board reviews personnel vaccination policy; keeps annual COVID booster requirement for staff

The McHenry County Board of Health reviewed its personnel policy on vaccinations and tuberculosis screening at its March 17 meeting and decided to leave the policy language unchanged.

Staff said routine vaccinations required for healthcare staff remain in force, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), varicella, hepatitis B and Tdap. The board discussed whether COVID vaccination should remain a required annual booster; staff and clinical leaders recommended continuing the annual COVID booster requirement for frontline respiratory-illness workers and other roles that interact with vulnerable populations.

Dr. Tommaso (department clinical lead) told the board that while COVID is less severe than at the pandemic's peak, hospitalizations continue among the very young, very old and people with lung or cardiac disease, and that ongoing vaccination helps keep the workforce healthy and operations running. "We did decide that we felt we did wanna continue to require that, as an annual booster," the clinical lead said during the meeting.

Administrator Adamson said the department offers both medical and religious exemptions; staff reported seven exemption requests have been filed. Staff also said the department has not been conducting routine employee testing; instead, employees who test positive at home are generally required to be fever-free for 24 hours and to mask for five days before returning to work. The department provides the booster at no cost to employees.

Board members did not move to amend the policy; staff will maintain the current language and continue to implement CDC-based guidance on masking and return-to-work practices for employees who report infection.