Less than a quarter of DeKalb County Jail inmates vaccinated against COVID-19, says sheriff

SYCAMORE – Fewer than a quarter of inmates at DeKalb County Jail are vaccinated against COVID-19, although more than half of jail staff are vaccinated, sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

The DeKalb County Jail is staffed by employees from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Andy Sullivan said Thursday that 54% of the 26 jail employees are fully vaccinated. DeKalb County Corrections Chief Carolyn Parnow said 23% of the 106 inmates housed at the jail have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of that 23%, the majority are fully vaccinated, she said.

Sullivan said 63% of all employees at the sheriff’s office are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 cases among those housed at the jail remained in the single digits until the arrival of the omicron variant shortly after Thanksgiving, Sullivan said. As of Thursday, there are 24 cases of COVID-19 among the 106 inmates in the jail, he said.

“It’s really only started to rear its head for the last couple of weeks,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the majority of recent cases among inmates have presented with cold-like symptoms, although a few cases required attention by the jail’s doctor.

“Nothing that has ever required a hospitalization of anybody, thankfully,” Sullivan said.

The sheriff said the jail’s newer building addition has helped the facility better quarantine inmates as the need arises.

Parnow said a lot of inmates received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. She said the single-dose shot is easier to manage for inmates, who might be in or out before a month passes, which is the timeline for other two-dose COVID-19 vaccines.

“Periodically, we keep offering vaccines to inmates, since the population changes from time to time,” Parnow said.

Parnow said she’s not sure why vaccination rates aren’t higher at the jail, but said she’s observed inmates are skeptical about receiving the vaccine while incarcerated.

She said she believes jail staff have done well at adhering to protocols to help limit virus exposure, cases and illness among inmates.

“It’s been very challenging,” Parnow said. “But we’re getting through it.”

Sullivan said he also believes jail staff have done well at limiting virus exposure, especially since the jail has remained open and operational throughout the pandemic. He said the goal remains limiting spread until life can get back to normal.

“Who knows when that’ll be,” Sullivan said. “But we’re doing the best we can to keep everyone safe.”