OSF HealthCare Requiring All Employees To Receive COVID Vaccines By End of September
PEORIA — OSF HealthCare now says it will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September. Previously, the health care organization recommended vaccines, but left the final decision up to individuals. OSF chief operating officer Mike Cruz said the health care group is “ethically obligated” to be vigilant about patient […]
As Iowa Opens Up, COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Continue To Slow
IOWA CITY — On a hot evening at the Broadway Neighborhood Center in Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa, student volunteers set up a mobile COVID vaccination clinic among the apartment complexes that house many immigrant and refugee families. But the clinic struggled to attract residents. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2021/07/se-vaccineupdateweb.mp3 Listen to this story here. Andrew […]
Only One Elder Care Facility In Champaign-Urbana Is Requiring Staff Vaccinations
URBANA – More than 10,000 residents of long-term care facilities in Illinois have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to state data. But in Champaign County, only one long-term care facility is currently mandating that its staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Clark-Lindsey, a long-term care facility and nursing home in Urbana, […]
Urbana Hospitals Not Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine For Employees Yet
URBANA – Urbana’s two hospitals are not requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but vaccinations are strongly encouraged. At OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, 64% of all staff – including leadership, frontline workers and support staff – are fully vaccinated, according to Deborah McCarter, the hospital’s vice president and chief nursing officer. A […]
As Vaccination Rates Decline, Some Central Illinois Employers Look To Incentives
DANVILLE, Ill. – In the Danville Stadium parking lot on Two-Dollar Tuesday this week, National Guard members filled out brand-new COVID-19 vaccination cards. In exchange for getting the vaccine, residents received a coupon for a free hotdog and a non-alcoholic drink. Almost half of all Illinois residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But some […]
Faith Leaders In McLean County Seek To Boost COVID Vaccinations
NORMAL — Surveys show white evangelicals, people of color and rural residents are among the most likely to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. As vaccination rates drop, health officials are targeting those specific groups to encourage vaccination to get closer to herd immunity. They say you should talk to the people you trust if you have […]
Rural Areas Lag In Vaccination Rates, CDC Report Shows
COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower in rural counties than in urban counties, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, the vaccination rate among adults in urban counties is 45.7%, but only 38.9% of adults are vaccinated in rural counties. The disparity persists among different age groups and genders. […]
Black Lives Matter Louisville Trying To Improve Community Health
LOUISVILLE — Outside a high-rise apartment building for seniors in Louisville’s West End, volunteer Harriett Rankin helped residents board a long white van to get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Rankin has been with Black Lives Matter Louisville for about a year. She’s been to some protests downtown, many of which BLM Louisville […]
‘Unique Historical Fear’ Of Carle Billing Practices May Lead Some To Skip COVID Vaccine, Health Officials Worry
CHAMPAIGN — Eight years ago, Terry Maher, a professional bassoonist living in Champaign, was unexpectedly charged a hospital “facility fee” for allergy shots that she had received from her local doctors’ group, Carle Health, every three weeks for years. “I freaked out,” Maher recalled. “I had to pay co-payments on these things and they said […]
Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks Indoors And Outdoors, CDC Says
Updated May 13, 2021 at 4:53 PM ET WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that fully vaccinated adults can safely resume activities indoors or outdoors without masks or distancing, in gatherings large or small. The announcement marks a major milestone in the effort to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in the […]
Following The Shot: How One Dose Of Moderna Vaccine Made It Into An Arm In Southern Indiana
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Archie Thomas is a church organist who grew up attending the Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Evansville, Indiana. He still plays here occasionally. But on this warm spring day, the 49-year-old is visiting for another reason — to get his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. “I do have a […]
Anxiety Expected As Life Starts Return To Normal From Pandemic
INDIANAPOLIS — Myranda Tetzlaff is a 25-year-old who has two pit bull mixes named Bub and Goose. She takes them on long walks for exercise. But she recently caught herself backing out of a hike— because she was afraid of seeing other people on the trail. Listen to this story here. “Oh, it’s nice outside, […]
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine And Blood Clots: What You Need To Know
Updated 12:50 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have called for a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after reports that six women who got the vaccine developed blood clots afterward. Close to 7 million people have gotten this vaccine in the U.S. to date. The Centers for Disease Control […]
As COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Expands, Some Say They Don’t Want The Shot
States across the Midwest are opening up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to more age groups. This should move the region closer to herd immunity and the return to some normalcy. Still, some say they don’t want to get vaccinated.
Latino Leaders In Meatpacking Towns Fight To Overcome Myths And Hesitancy About COVID-19 Vaccine
LIBERAL, Kansas — One woman thinks the COVID-19 pandemic was planned, man-made. A man won’t get inoculated because he suspects other countries are using…