COVID-19 vaccine supply in the Quad Cities is rising, as demand is plateauing. The Rock Island and Scott County Health Departments are stressing the importance of employers in getting the Quad Cities to herd immunity. Amy Thoreson, Interim Director of the Scott County Health Department, says the next phase of vaccinations depends on workplace policies.
“A vaccinated workforce is a healthier and more reliable workforce. And being flexible to assist an employee with going to a vaccine appointment costs much less than the financial and workload challenges that come from an employee needing to miss work for multiple days for isolation or quarantine.”
Paul Rumler, President and CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber, says the region’s economy was on an upswing before the pandemic hit. Now, he says employee and consumer health will be critical to continuing that growth post-pandemic.
“How do we get back to normal? The answer is pretty simple and straightforward. It’s all in vaccinations… I know that many employers in some states, there’s a requirement to allow team members to go vote if it’s election day. Why don’t we treat it in the same way for vaccination day?”
Today, the mass vaccination site in Milan is taking walk-ins all day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting next week, the clinic will shorten its days of operation from Monday through Saturday to Tuesday through Saturday.
