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Last updated on Wednesday, April 15, 2015
(SCOTT CO.) - Scott County health officials say a new needle exchange program is working.
Health officials say the program was put into place because of an HIV epidemic that, thus far, has infected 106 people.
State and local officials held a press conference Tuesday morning to give an update on the efforts to contain the outbreak and get people the help they need.
The governor authorized a clean needle exchange program in his 30-day Public Health Emergency Declaration for Scott County. Today, we were told more than 1,500 clean needles have been distributed, while 580 dirty needles have been turned in.
Public health nurse Brittany Combs says they are offering the people who come in substance abuse referrals and some have been able to get into treatment. As of Monday the county also started taking the needle exchange program door-to-door.
Officials can only keep the program running until April 25. That's when the governor's executive order ends.
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