Measles cases are rising across the United States, along with other diseases preventable through vaccines.

While Rock Island — and the rest of Illinois — have no reported cases, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Rock Island County Department of Public Health aren’t taking any chances.

As part of a campaign to raise awareness and increase vaccination rates, the RIDPH is increasing its vaccination walk-in hours to every Thursday through the end of August. Chief Operating Officer Janet Hill says that’s to counteract what’s happening in other parts of the country.

"Measles is continuing to rise all across the country, we have outbreaks throughout the country and Illinois is trying to prevent that here," Hill said. IDPH is providing large grants to local health departments to buy measles vaccines and do some promotion as well as staff time to get schools that are below the 95 percent vaccination compliance rate to or above that rate.

Hill said there’s one public school in Rock island County with less than 95 percent. They’ve reached out to that nurse, sent staff over and offered vaccinations. Now they’re targeting private and religious-based schools to make sure they reach that 95 percent mark.

The campaign costs just less than $55,000 and is not just for the measles mumps and rubella vaccine, Hill said. "It’s to get kids and adults caught up on whatever immunizations they might need: meningitis, anything else."

A high rate of measles immunizations are important because infants can’t get their first vaccines until age one. "It’s up to the rest of us to make sure that we are vaccinated so we have herd immunity so that we don’t get tiny babies sick," Hill said. "Because measles isn’t just a tiny rash. It’s a brain swelling, potential brain damage or even death. With almost any disease, the very young are extremely vulnerable." 

The vaccination clinics will be operated Thursdays from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. at the Rock Island Health Department, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. Other times are available by appointment.