KIRX News

While Adair County continues COVID vaccination efforts, health officials want to make sure residents are aware of an important part of the process. Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator says the key to the distribution of more vaccine doses among more entities is understanding that for now, individuals should not mix vaccines.

Both current two-dose vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are mRNA vaccines; however, there has not been sufficient research to determine how mixing them might inhibit the effectiveness of the vaccine. LeBaron says for now, if your first dose was the Pfizer vaccine, your second dose should be the Pfizer vaccine. If your first dose was the Moderna vaccine, your second dose should be the Moderna vaccine.

LeBaron adds that while you need to stick with a single vaccine maker for both doses, you don’t have to stick with the same entity distributing the doses.

The Putman County Health Department is receiving 300 doses of Moderna vaccine this week and will be holding vaccine clinics in their office this Thursday, February 4th and Friday, February 5th. These clinics will be by appointment only and the health department will schedule appointments starting this morning. You can call their main line and dial 0 to schedule. The office only has 4 phone lines available, so they ask that you be patient. If you call in and receive a busy signal hang up and try again until you can get through.

17 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by the Adair County Health Department yesterday. That brings the number of total cases to 2,186. The new cases included nine females ranging from age 19 to 59, and eight males ranging from age 20 to 64. The health department will provide more details in tomorrow’s update.

Seven new COVID-19 cases confirmed over the weekend and nine more cases yesterday brings Adair County’s case count to 2,169. The County also recorded another death on January 31st, an 83-year-old female who was admitted to Northeast Regional Medical Center on January 15th.
There are currently 20 COVID-related deaths. The health department says the county has 90 active cases and 2,059 people who have left isolation. Two patients were discharged from Northeast Regional on January 31, including an 81-year-old male admitted on January 23 and a 73-year-old male admitted on January 26th. Neither required a ventilator during their inpatient stays.

As production of COVID-19 vaccines ramp up, availability to Adair County residents will expand. The Adair County Health Department is prepared and will continue to vaccinate residents as it receives doses. It will also continue to provide information about COVID-19, testing and vaccines, including information about accessing vaccines administered by other local entities.

Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator says, “The most important thing that can happen in Adair County is having vaccine doses shipped to and administered by more and more providers.” He added that in addition to the health department’s Curbside Clinics, having other vaccinators, including healthcare providers and local pharmacies, receiving, and administering doses is a game changer.

LeBaron says if you have emailed the Adair County Health Department to be placed on their waiting list, but have another opportunity to register for a vaccine, take advantage of that other opportunity.

There is over $1 billion in unclaimed property in the state – could some of it belong to you? Yesterday was National Unclaimed Property Day and Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is encouraging Missourians to check to see if they might be 1 out of 10 residents who have unclaimed assets. Go to showmemoney.com to see.

Another nine cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Friday by the Adair County Health Department. The total case count is now 2,152 with 97 active cases and 2,036 people who have left isolation. Five of the nine cases are in the higher education sector and three are in the K-12 schools’ sector. Three cases reside at addresses with at least one other confirmed case.

Over 900 people received the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Thursday at the Adair County Health Department’s drive through clinic at the NEMO Fairgrounds. Vaccines were administered to more people in the Phase 1 tiers as recommended by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Jim LeBaron, Adair County Health Department administrator, said they are continuing to get the county’s most vulnerable citizens vaccinated as doses become available and will continue making requests for doses and to administer them to residents as quickly as possible in the tiers recommended. LeBaron added that there will be a regional vaccination drive-through in February targeting older adults. He said they’ve not yet been advised by the Department of Health and Senior Services about how to register for this event, but the health department let everyone know more as soon as they receive the details.

Kirksville police are still searching for 1 missing girl. On Saturday, the police department issued an alert that they were searching for 3 missing teenage girls, two from outside the Northeast Missouri area and the third from Macon. Later in the day, KPD announced that a 15-year-old and 16-year-old had been located safe. They were still searching for a 15-year-old, first name Evanna, a biracial, female, 5’2” tall, 120 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes, last seen wearing a puffy black jacket, blue bandana, and green and purple pants. Anyone with information should call KPD.

COVID-19 cases in Adair County are up to 2,143. The Adair County Health Department confirmed 13 new cases Wednesday and another 22 cases yesterday. There are 98 active cases and 2,026 people who have left isolation. Among yesterday’s cases, one is in the K-12 schools’ sector, six are in the higher education sector and 11 reside at addresses with at least one other confirmed case.

Elsewhere in Northeast Missouri, 7 new cases were reported the last couple of days in Knox County. The Schuyler County Health Department confirmed 14 active cases yesterday, bringing the county’s total case count to 373.