St. Louis health commissioner outlines animal-control contract, tag shortage and new respiratory campaign

Victoria Anne Worry, acting commissioner of health for St. Louis City, told the Health and Human Development Committee on Thursday that the health department is operating “business as normal” while the mayor’s office continues a search for a permanent department director.

Worry said the city entered a six-month contract with Care St. Louis for animal sheltering that is scheduled to end in December and that the city has signed a version of the longer contract to reach $1.3 million; the signed instrument will be sent through the city’s channels for full execution. She said the initial short-term arrangement was used because city staff were still identifying funding sources; part of the earlier increase to reach the $1.3 million level used ARPA funds, she said, while the subsequent extension uses other funds.

On the issue of stray animals and resident reporting, Worry advised that the proper protocol for residents is to submit a Citizens Service Bureau (CSB) request so animal-care-and-control officers can respond. She said a photograph is sometimes helpful but is not required. She also acknowledged a temporary shortage of registration tags for vaccinated animals, which she attributed to procurement limits that limit bulk purchasing; the department is seeking additional vendors and working to resolve the shortage.

Worry described the department’s public-health outreach for the coming respiratory-illness season, including a campaign titled “A Healthy St. Louis Starts With You.” The campaign includes TV and radio spots, translated printed materials (Spanish and Vietnamese), metro advertising and social-media posts. Staff have also produced a short-video series called “Epi Minute” featuring epidemiologists who explain local data and seasonal trends; Worry said the department is preparing translated assets and can tailor flyers or events for ward-level outreach.

The commissioner reiterated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends the 2024–25 COVID vaccine for most adults and said vaccines remain available through the city and partner Integrated Health Network for uninsured residents. Worry offered to coordinate with committee members to organize community vaccine events.

Committee members raised concerns about communication and visibility, saying residents and ward offices were not always aware of department programs. Worry said the department produces a quarterly report and offered to meet regularly with committee members to improve information flow and provide tailored materials for constituent outreach.

The committee did not take any formal votes on department programs during the update. No operational changes were reported as a result of the director search; Worry said she is acting as both director and commissioner while recruitment continues.