By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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MONDAY, Nov. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In what may be a first for the United States, a regional public health department in Idaho will no longer provide COVID-19 vaccines, following a close vote by its board.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not aware of anything else like this,\u201d Adriane Casalotti<\/a>, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told the Associated Press<\/em>. She noted that some health departments have stopped offering the vaccine because of cost or low demand, but not based on the value of the shots themselves.<\/p>\n While Texas officials have banned health departments from promoting<\/a> COVID vaccines and Florida\u2019s surgeon general has recommended<\/a> against the vaccine, health agencies across the country haven\u2019t yet blocked the vaccines outright, the AP<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n In the case of Idaho, the six-county district along the state’s border with Oregon has seen demand drop for COVID vaccines — with 1,601 given in 2021, but only 64 given so far in 2024, according to the AP<\/em>. <\/p>\n Last month, the health department\u2019s board voted 4-3 in favor of the ban.<\/p>\n Board Chairman Kelly Aberasturi<\/a> told the AP<\/em> that while he\u2019s skeptical of COVID vaccines, he was supportive of but \u201cdisappointed\u201d in the board\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n He added that the board had overstepped the relationship between patients and their doctors and opened a door to blocking other vaccines.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Southwest\u2019s medical director testified to the vaccine\u2019s necessity, the AP<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n \u201cOur request of the board is that we would be able to carry and offer those [vaccines], recognizing that we always have these discussions of risks and benefits,\u201d Dr. Perry Jansen<\/a> said during the meeting.<\/a> \u201cThis is not a blind, everybody-gets-a-shot approach. This is a thoughtful approach.\u201d<\/p>\n However, more than 290 public comments made on the proposal called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines.<\/p>\n Board members in favor of the decision argued people can get vaccinated elsewhere, and that providing the shots was equivalent to signing off on their safety.<\/p>\n But the folks typically getting vaccinated at the health department — including people without housing, people who are homebound and those in long-term care facilities or immigrants — have no other options, Jansen and Aberasturi said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been homeless in my lifetime, so I understand how difficult it can be when you\u2019re \u2026 trying to get by and get ahead,\u201d Aberasturi said. \u201cThis is where we should be stepping in and helping. But we have some board members who have never been there, so they don\u2019t understand what it\u2019s like.\u201d<\/p>\n State health officials have noted that COVID vaccines are still available at community health centers for people who are uninsured.<\/p>\n Aberasturi said he plans to ask at the next board meeting if the health department can at least be allowed to vaccinate older patients and residents of long-term care facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I believe the way we went about this thing is we didn\u2019t do that due diligence,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The CDC has more on COVID vaccines<\/a>.<\/p>\n