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Nurses find positive response from Amish Todd County offers help against polio Staff Writer Todd County public health nurses have received a positive response as they've been visiting Amish families throughout the county, providing information about polio and offering vaccinations, said Cheryl Schneider, Todd County Public Health director in an interview Thursday.
There have been five confirmed cases of children with polio infection in an Amish community near Clarissa. Many Amish families chose not to have their children immunized for religious or personal reasons. There are five Amish communities in Todd County, where county health workers are now visiting.
Schneider said she didn't know how many Amish families have chosen to become vaccinated because they are still in the process of visiting homes. They also will continue to return to many families as they administer the series of three polio vaccines, along with a polio booster, to those who choose to vaccinate.
"We've had a good response overall. There are some families that chose not to," said Schneider. "If a family has chosen not to have the vaccine, they have been appreciative of the information."
Schneider said most of the families have heard of the polio infection outbreak in the Amish settlement near Clarissa. Some have read about it in the newspaper or have heard about it from their English neighbors. The Amish refer to non-Amish Americans as English.
"It's like any population group, we need to understand their culture, their community and address them in a way that fits their value system," said Schneider. "If it means lack of telephones, that we need to go door-to-door, that's what we do."
Schneider said a couple of Todd County public health nurses have on a routine basis visited Amish families as the settlements have been established, developing relationships, which has been helpful.
The polio vaccines are being offered at no cost to Amish families. Schneider said the polio infection outbreak in the Amish community near Clarissa should serve as a reminder to all families to make sure their children's immunizations are up-to-date.
JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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