In the 2022 Annual Report for the Warren County Health Department, Administrator Jenna Link looked back at COVID cases for the county over the past two years. 1,800 cases were reported, while 4,600 vaccinations were administered in 2021 compared to 1,400 cases and 1,500 vaccinations in 2022. Meanwhile, with a federal declaration for the end of the emergency response to COVID in May, Link says COVID will then be treated like any other virus:
“Federally, President Biden has said that in the middle of May, the Declaration for COVID, the Emergency Response Declaration for COVID will end and I think Governor Pritzker will kind of keep extending his declaration to match up and align with that. What really will happen with that, so many things were put into place to be able to treat COVID and minimize cost to the patient, but when that declaration happens, it will go back to being treated like any other normal virus like the flu. When you go to the doctor, for testing they have always billed insurance, but you have never seen a copay. Now you may see a copay for testing or vaccinations. We won’t have grant funding to offer those services.”
Link informs their current COVID-19 vaccination grant will run through September and will then become a privatized vaccine.
