Have Vaccines, Will Travel
City/county health department does more than give shots
It’s early on Wednesday morning, and “Anna” opens the front door at the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services at 1005 W. Worley St. She has an appointment to get her boys vaccinated for the new school year. Not surprisingly, the boys are more than a bit reluctant. But the registered nurse on staff is patient. Anna needs to get the boys to daycare — and herself to work — before 9 a.m.
A year without insurance has put a thorn in managing her family’s health. With a baby on the way, utility bills increasing, and the family dog ready to be neutered, this is one more thing on her plate. Anna explains those fears, and the nurse sits back and quietly asks, “Would you like us to help you with those things?”
“Help me how?” Anna responds.
The nurse smiles: “Let me get you a little more information.”
Managing your and your family’s health can be complicated, a task made more difficult without knowing the resources available in the community. However, the local city/county health department has a long history of being that helping hand.
“The reason we are here is to serve and improve the health and well-being of the citizens of Columbia and Boone County,” says Community Health Manager, Trina Teacutter. “We want individuals that need assistance to feel comfortable coming to us so we can work with them to help them meet their needs.”
Though “Anna” is not a real person, the scenario accurately depicts a common interaction with local health department staff and services.
WHAT YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW
It is true that one of the most common clinical services at the health department is vaccination distribution. Nursing staff is available daily to provide routine childhood immunizations: chicken pox; mumps, measles, and rubella (MMRL); and much more. In 2023 alone, nearly 5,200 school influenza vaccines and roughly 4,900 general child immunizations were administered.
Disease prevention coincides with immunizations with an onsite epidemiologist continuously combing reports for the next COVID-19, tracking prevalent viruses, and helping with case management of common health concerns such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis C. In addition, intervention specialists are on hand to meet with clients, provide tests, and notify past partners to minimize future spread of disease.
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW
The city/county health department supports women and new mothers in the community with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) division and the Community Nutrition unit, delivering income-based nutrition services, counseling, vouchers for healthy food, and breastfeeding support. The program supported up to 20,996 office visits by WIC participants and 2,668 lunches during the summer Lunch in the Park program in 2023.
Health on Wheels looks to enrich the community with accessible health information to rural and underserved populations through outreach and increased public partnerships. The mobile unit attends various community events and provides COVID test kits, health assessments, and blood pressure checks, as well as information to other community resources.
The Save a Life Series offers monthly free events, educating the public on the naloxone nasal spray, also known as NARCAN. The life-saving treatment can reverse the immediate effects of an opioid overdose.
Social Services
Social Services bring care to the most vulnerable individuals and groups in the community. Future parent resources offer counseling, pregnancy testing, prenatal care, and staff to answer questions or address concerns. Representatives can also aid in applying for Medicaid insurance and MO Healthnet, which offers care and delivery services, along with home health visits to ensure continued aid even after the baby is born.
The Utility Assistance Program is available for financial help on any electric and water service in Boone County. Those eligible include seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families with children aged 18 and younger.
Environmental Health
Ever consider how restaurants keep food safe for the daily consumer? Restaurant inspectors dedicate time and expertise to evaluating the necessary food preparation practices at all eateries in Columbia, confirming the welfare of your basic lunchtime burrito bowl. Restaurant service workers can re-up food handler cards and attend courses, ensuring Columbia’s restaurants align with safety regulations.
Columbia is passionate about its fuzziest family members, and the health department animal control unit keeps people and pets safe with services such as animal bite case assistance, rabies prevention, and animal cruelty investigations. This unit can also distribute free spay and neuter vouchers if heading to the vet office is an economic hardship.
Resources and Education
Concerned with the summer heat? Under the Public Health and Safety division within the department, address information can be found for cooling centers in various locations around the city, such as the ARC, City Hall, and the Columbia Public Library during business hours.
Other services and resources include smoking cessation programs, vital records and birth certificate requests, WeightWatchers, and diabetes education.
Health department officials like Teacutter understand that a lot of Columbia residents and families are like Anna, trying to manage the unending laundry list of family and household needs. But the department has an abundance of resources to help.
The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) has scheduled a COVID-19 vaccine and “comfort clinic” from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, November 9, at 1005 W. Worley St.
“The ‘comfort clinics’ are for adults and children who may have issues with needles,” said Austin Krohn, PHHS information specialist. He said the clinic is “sensory friendly” and will have extra comfort measures available to patients including private rooms for vaccination, distraction tools, and volunteers trained in evidence-based child life therapeutic interventions.
Residents will be able to get both the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine at the comfort clinics. Call 573.874.7249 to set up an appointment for the comfort clinic and for separate vaccine appointments.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) is also offering the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccination by appointment. Everyone six months and older is encouraged to get vaccinated to protect against ser ious illness from COVID-19. The vaccine will be provided at no cost to anyone. PHHS is working with the State of Missouri to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine for uninsured adult residents by mid-October. Children who are uninsured are able to get the vaccine now.
Flu vaccines for children at PHHS are free and do not require ID or health insurance. Parental consent forms are required for anyone under the age of 18.
The cost of the flu and COVID-19 vaccine for residents aged 19 and older will vary depending on insurance coverage. The PHHS clinic accepts cash, credit cards, debit cards, and checks and can bill various insurance plans through a system known as VaxCare. Outreach clinics will only accept cash or checks.
A list of the insurance providers accepted through the VaxCare billing system can be found at CoMo.gov/Health/Clinical-Services. For self-pay residents, the cost of the flu vaccine is $25. Receipts will be available upon request. A high-dose flu shot is available specifically for those 65 and older.
For residents who may not be able to make it to any outreach events or the PHHS Clinic, vaccines.gov can help find other locations.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services
Address: 1005 W. Worley St., Columbia, Missouri
Website: https://www.como.gov/health/
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday