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The Kosciusko County Board of Health approved five memorandums of understanding for project funding and heard an update on measles cases in the area during a meeting Monday.
Health First Kosciusko Coordinator Liz McCullough presented the MOUs to the board. The approved MOUs are as follows: $61,563 for the Northern Indiana Maternal and Child Health Network for their community health, education, and access program; $95,000 for Warsaw Community Schools' health liaison, who serves as a resource navigator for all six school systems in the county; $95,000 to Live Well Kosciusko to expand and sustain prevention efforts for chronic disease, maternal health, and youth health; $15,000 to Live Well Kosciusko for their Mobile Mammography program; and $5,400 to Purdue Extension Kosciusko County for their Dining with Diabetes and Steps to a Healthy You programs.
Teresa Reed, communicable disease nurse for the Kosciusko County Health Department, provided an update on measles cases in the area. Reed said there's an outbreak globally and in the state, and that she anticipates Kosciusko County having cases "sooner rather than later."
"Our largest population that doesn't vaccinate, the under vaccinated, is typically our Amish (community)," said Reed. "They are very compliant when we reach out to them."
She also noted a lot of healthy measles cases are handled within that community and don't seek healthcare, meaning the case count may be off because of untracked cases.
Reed recalled receiving a call from a man in Elkhart County who contacted her regarding his children being exposed to measles.
"They're so wary they're not even going to call their county," said Reed. "That's actually not an infrequent thing."
The home quarantine period after exposure to measles is 21 days.
The board also scheduled its quarterly 2027 meetings, which will all take place in the Kosciusko County courthouse. The meeting dates are Jan. 18, April 12, July 26, and Oct. 18.
