LaSalle County health department staff told the committee on Oct. 20 that mosquito testing in September found West Nile virus in several sites and described several service changes and outreach efforts ahead of the winter season.

The health department representative (name not provided in the transcript) said mosquitoes in Seneca, Dayton and Naplate tested positive for West Nile virus during the county's September sampling. Staff said the county's mosquito testing season officially ended Oct. 15 and that routine tick drags continue; a laboratory analysis of ticks can take about six months to determine species and disease carriage.

On vaccines, the health department explained differing federal and state guidance for COVID shots. The representative said the federal portal that the county uses for COVID vaccine billing (VaxCare) will only bill insurers when coverage applies, which means the county sometimes must ask individuals without qualifying conditions to private-pay if insurers will not cover the dose. The representative said Illinois public-health guidance encourages broad availability, but the portal's billing rules can limit coverage in practice.

The department reported continuing after-hours WIC clinics three nights per week and a city/county/state employee flu clinic on Oct. 7. The health department also said Illinois WIC services remain open during the federal government shutdown that affected some other states.

Other items reported included an annual food-service seminar with 89 attendees, continued monitoring of federal vaccine recommendations, updated food-inspection software planned to post inspection results online, and planned after-hours STI clinics in November.

Why it matters: West Nile detections identify an immediate vector-borne disease risk for parts of the county; vaccine-billing limitations and continuity of WIC services affect access to preventive care for residents.

The committee approved the ROC/ROE/health department bills during the meeting; Ron (surname not provided) moved and Nancy Urich seconded the motion, and the chair called the vote in favor.