MEETING — The Jefferson County Board of Health met in regular session Tuesday. The board meets in regular session at 8:15 a.m. every third Tuesday in the second-floor community room of the Jefferson County Tower Building, 500 Market St., Steubenville. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — A recent vaccine clinic conducted by the Jefferson County General Health District received a positive response from an initially skeptical but increasingly open Amish community in the county’s north and northwest corners, a department official reported Tuesday.

Medical Director Dr. Janie Culp told the Jefferson County Board of Health that department staff conducted an influenza vaccine clinic Oct. 3 in Bergholz, targeting a nearby Amish population. During the clinic, staff members administered 98 vaccines, two-thirds of which were for children under the age of 18, with the rest for older adults.

“They were very receptive,” Culp told the board. “At the end of the clinic, their bishop came up and said, ‘We really appreciate you coming out and doing the vaccine for us.'”

Although some individuals did not attend, Culp said, those 98 amount to a “good majority” of the Amish population that was afflicted in December by a meningitis outbreak among its children. Assisted by local epidemiologists, health systems and the Ohio Department of Health, JCGHD staff responded to the outbreak, administered post-exposure treatment and later held a meningitis vaccine clinic.

“They had actually asked for this (influenza) clinic while we were out doing the meningitis vaccines,” Culp said. “I told them I would get back in touch with them once it was getting closer to our flu clinic season. They called me back in a couple weeks and we set this up for them. So, it was basically their idea to do it. We just followed through with the communication part of it.”

Board member Terry Bell said, “That community has been in that hollow for probably 35, 40 years, and they have grown significantly. When they first came, they were very standoffish. … But it’s nice to know that they’re open to help from an outside source.”

“And they actually thanked you for treating them like people because, typically, they feel, maybe, ostracized,” added Health Commissioner Andrew Henry.

Culp said the clinic was a “team effort,” utilizing the health department’s Wellness on Wheels mobile unit. The clinic took place at an easily accessible bulk food store, she said, adding that the community has been “very receptive” to the department’s presence.

“I’m sure that’s a result of the initial time when you were out there for meningitis and how kind we were and willing to help them,” said board President Tony Mougianis. “They’re like us — maybe a little different — but they accept kindness, and that’s why we (were invited) back.”

As for the influenza vaccine itself, Culp said this year’s vaccine is trivalent, meaning it protects against three strains of the contagious disease. Previous years’ vaccines have been quadrivalent, protecting against three strains, but one “B” strain has not been seen since 2020, so it was left out of the current vaccine.

Doses are available through the health department’s flu shot outreach, which will last through October. A list of dates and locations can be viewed at jchealth.com. The department does not carry high-dose vaccines, which can taken by individuals age 16 or older. Those, Culp said, are available for the general public at Walgreens by appointment.

Henry added separately that the health department has added COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Nov. 6 and 8. Those clinics will be the first the department has offered since the COVID-19 vaccine ceased being available to the department free of charge. Since some time has passed since the last clinic, Henry said, the clinics are being piloted to gauge public interest.

In other business:

• The board had the second readings of the health department’s 2025 environmental program fees. The board will hold a public hearing at 8:10 a.m. on Nov. 19 to allow business owners the chance to comment on the fees. Taking place in the second-floor community room of the Jefferson County Tower Building, the hearing will directly precede the board’s regular meeting at 8:15 a.m.

• Events committee chairperson Suzanne Brown announced that the board will have its retreat with department heads Nov. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the second-floor community room of the Tower Building. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Clint Koenig, president of the Franklin County Board of Health.

• The board approved four contracts or memorandums of understanding: With Mahoning County Public Health to jointly provide service connection and case management through nursing staff, with the Jefferson County Department of Job and Family Services to renew on-call services for the McCullough Children’s Home, with Dr. Blaise Milburn and a pending pediatrician to provide clinical care for WIC patients and with registered dietician Ronda Seelig to review WIC’s nutritional services.

• The board approved a purchase order of $19,478.88 to the state treasurer for quarterly birth and death certificates.

• The board approved hiring David McFarland as a sanitarian-in-training, effective Oct. 28, at a starting wage of $21.50 per hour. Henry said McFarland has completed preliminary training through previous employment, saving potentially several months of time that would be needed for training otherwise.