Platte County Health Department gives tetanus shots to volunteers in Parkville

PARKVILLE, Missouri - About 500 volunteers fighting the upcoming flood in Parkville waited in line at the Platte County Health Department tent. Nurses are giving the workers tetanus shots.

"People are eventually going to be working in flood waters and there are always high incidents of tetanus infection and people still die," said Mary Jo Vernon, director of the Platte County Health Department.

She said about 20 percent of those with a tetanus die from the infection. Volunteer Mark Owen said he isn't taking any chances.

"It has raw sewage in it so as we more involved in the flood and were going to be around the more doing the different things and I wanted to be sure we had some protection," said Owen.

The City of Parkville will be accepting volunteers on Thursday. The health department plans to continue giving tetanus shots.