Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richland County HHS reports no measles cases, plans immunization outreach and tick‑prevention campaign
Summary
At the March 5 committee meeting HHS staff reported no measles cases in Richland County, said adult vaccines are available for uninsured and underinsured residents, and announced a small grant for tick‑bite prevention outreach as well as plans for tabletop preparedness exercises and increased immunization data collection.
Health and Human Services staff told the Richland County Community and Health and Service subcommittee on March 5 that the county currently has no reported measles cases and is stepping up outreach to boost immunizations and disease awareness.
During the administrative report, the HHS director highlighted ongoing programs — the ADRC 'rise and dine' events returning in March at the Phoenix Center, SHED restarting next week, behavioral health activity levels, and economic support call-center performance — before turning to public-health specifics. The director noted immunization clinics and said staff had received a small grant to begin tick-bite prevention outreach, including signage and repellent dispensers.
Brandy Anderson, a public-health staff member, told the committee: “There are no reported measles cases as of now in Richland.” She said the county has adult vaccine stock for uninsured and underinsured residents and that staff plan to collect better data on immunization rates and collaborate more closely with local hospitals and clinics. Anderson said the county participated in a January tabletop exercise with a neighboring county and is planning similar functional exercises to prepare for potential outbreaks.
Committee members asked how often they should receive county-level public-health updates; staff said they will aim to provide more specific data in future months to support county-level decision-making.
HHS staff also noted that April is Public Health Month and that unit managers have invited a representative from the state to present at the committee’s April meeting. The director said staff will follow up on data collection and coordinate further outreach as information becomes available.
