
COVID Update
The Christian County Health Department no longer provides Immunization Exemptions Forms. If you would like to obtain an Immunization Exemption, we are advising you to contact Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Immunizations by phone at 1-800-219-3224 or by email to Immunization@health.mo.gov.
------
To be mindful of COVID-19 Vaccine utilization and not be wasteful with the vaccine, we have chosen to refer county residents who are seeking a COVID-19 vaccine to local pharmacies since they are administering the COVID-19 vaccine to a greater number of individuals daily.
We are urged to extract fourteen full doses or twenty booster doses from a vial and administer the doses within a 12 hour timeframe. Any vaccine that is not administered within the designated timeframe must be discarded. In the future, if our Health Department receives an increased interest from multiple citizens for a Moderna vaccine, we will gladly resume clinics at that time.
We are dedicated to serving our community, but we are also held accountable for vaccine wastage.
Christian County Health Department continues to offer:
Child Immunizations Lead Testing
STD Testing WIC Services
Vital Records TB Testing
Environmental-Water Testing
Watch for updates on our website and Facebook page for additional services
-------
The Christian County Health Department (CCHD) continues to follow The Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. We have been working with the CDC Foundation, and they are contacting persons who are Christian County residents testing positive for COVID. It has been determined that to maintain our mission of pro-health, this process will continue in order to provide CDC information and recommendations to our community. The CCHD does not make laws or mandatory rules. Schools, businesses, organizations, and individuals make their own decisions on whether to follow the guidance that is provided. CCHD has NO control over whether the CDC guidance is followed or not.
-------
On December 9, 2021, the CCHD gave notice to all schools within Christian County district that we would immediately cease notifying/contacting students or their families in any manner with regards to COVID issues as had previously been initiated in conjunction with the schools. This was in response to the recent Cole County Court decision and the support/direction of the Missouri Attorney General.
In a letter received on December 7, 2021, the Missouri Attorney General stated: “Under this judgement, all mask mandates, quarantine orders, and other public health orders that are based on any of the invalidated regulations or issued outside the protections of the Missouri Administrative Procedure Act are null and void. You should stop enforcing and publicizing any such orders immediately. Failure to follow the court’s judgment may result in enforcement action against you to remove orders the court has determined are unconstitutional and illegal. We encourage you to take immediate action to remove all unconstitutional and illegal orders."
This is to brief you that the Christian County Health Department is forced to cease all COVID-19 related work at the current time. This includes case investigations, contact tracing, quarantine orders and public announcements of current cases/deaths, etc. While this is an immense worry for our agency, we have no other options but to follow the orders of the Missouri Attorney General at this time. We are looking for additional guidance from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
For our county residents that have been or will be diagnosed with COVID-19 and require quarantine, isolation or any other information, we recommend the following:
-
For health questions, quarantine or isolation information please consult your healthcare provider for guidance.
-
Visit the CDC website (www.cdc.gov) for information on protecting yourself, your household, school, workplace and community.
-
For additional answers to questions pertaining to this state of affairs, please contact the DHSS COVID Hotline (877-435-8411) or the Missouri Attorney General’s Office (573-751-3321).
While our agency remains steadfast to protect the health of our county residents, it should be understood that this ruling greatly impacts how we will be able to go forward with ALL highly communicable diseases in our future.
The CCHD provides the community with the best information from the CDC and other renowned health organizations on various public health issues and initiatives. CCHD has and will continue to be pro-health, pro-science and pro-vaccine.
The CCHD does not make laws or mandatory rules. We only provide guidance. Schools, businesses and other organizations make their own decisions on whether to follow the guidance that we provide. CCHD has NO control over if our guidance is followed or not.
The CCHD retains the right to make any changes we choose with our clinic, social media pages and other forms of public health outreach.
Quick Links:
Christian County Emergency Management
MO COVID Hotline 1-877-435-8411
Show Me Hope (free mental health care)
COVID Vaccine
Ready to get a COVID vaccine?
Call the Christian County Health Department at 417-581-7285.
All Missourians age 5 and older are now eligible for COVID vaccination. In addition, youth 16 and older and adults are also eligible for a booster shot. Please call the Christian County Health Department at 417-581-7285 to schedule an appointment or visit VaccineFinder.org to find a vaccinator near you.
Currently, Christian County Health Department only offers Moderna vaccine, so those seeking a Pfizer booster shot are encouraged to contact a nearby provider and schedule an appointment. The following locations are offering Pfizer vaccine; however, there may be other providers offering Pfizer vaccine.
-
Cox Health or call 417-269-1300
Research shows that all COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. Learn more about COVID-19 booster doses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID Prevention
All of us have an important role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting our families and our community. Follow recommendations from CDC and the Christian County Health Department.
-
Consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself, your family, and our community.
-
Wear a face mask when you must go out in public.
-
Keep a distance of at least six feet from other people outside your home.
-
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
-
Stay home when possible.
Quarantine
The CDC defines exposure to COVID as being in close contact with a person who has COVID. Close contact means you were within six feet of the person for a total of 15 minutes in the course of a day. If you pass a stranger once while shopping, that is not close contact. If you sit or stand within six feet of a co-worker for 15 minutes in the course of your work day, that is considered close contact. If you live with a person, ride in a car with someone for 15 minutes, or sit next to someone at a basketball game, those would be considered close contacts. This decision chart and guidance from CDC can help you decide when to quarantine.