St. Charles County residents are taking the lead in protecting themselves and our community against COVID-19. As of June 24, an estimated 41.7 percent of our total population are fully vaccinated, and an estimated 46.5 percent have initiated vaccination. This puts St. Charles County third in the state for total doses administered at 346,837. The St. Charles County Department of Public Health (DPH) has given one in four of these doses.
“St. Charles County residents understand the importance of vaccinations and of continuing to remain vigilant throughout this pandemic,” says County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “This conscious effort to lead a healthy lifestyle is why our county continuously ranks among the healthiest in the state, and why we have fared better in this pandemic than other areas. I greatly appreciate our residents and the exceptional work of our Public Health staff.”
One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the Delta variant, is to get vaccinated. With Missouri reporting the highest amount of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents as a state, there are still opportunities to join the St. Charles County residents who are fully vaccinated and keep the county from seeing a rise in cases. Clinical studies show COVID-19 vaccination is safe and highly effective in:
• Preventing infection.
• Reducing the risk for severe complications and hospitalization.
• Stopping the spread of the virus and variants.
St. Charles County physicians explain more about the vaccine in this video released by local health systems.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after receiving the last required dose of vaccine: two doses for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines or one dose for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.
As more people have become vaccinated, the DPH has transitioned from mass vaccination clinics to more focused events throughout the community. These are open to ages 12 and older for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or 18 and older for the Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Individuals ages 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the vaccination. To learn more about scheduled events, or to plan one for your St. Charles County business or community event, see the “Vaccine News and Updates” section at sccmo.org/COVIDvaccine, or call the COVID-19 Hotline at 636-949-1899, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
The DPH’s Immunization Clinic at 1650 Boone’s Lick Road in St. Charles offers COVID-19 vaccine appointments on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Appointments are required for vaccinations through the Immunization Clinic; those without an appointment cannot be accommodated. Call 636-949-1857 for information and to schedule an appointment.