A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board.
Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department.
While policymakers in Texas banned health departments from promoting COVID vaccines and Florida's surgeon general bucked medical consensus to recommend against the vaccine, governmental bodies across the country haven't blocked the vaccines outright.
“I'm not aware of anything else like this,” said Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She said health departments have stopped offering the vaccine because of cost or low demand, but not based on “a judgment of the medical product itself.”
The six-county district along the Idaho-Oregon border includes three counties in the Boise metropolitan area. Demand for COVID vaccines in the health district has declined — with 8,102 given in 2021 to 93 so far in 2024. The same is true for other vaccines: Idaho has the highest childhood vaccination exemption rate in the nation, and last year, the Southwest District Health Department rushed to contain a rare measles outbreak that sickened 10.
On Oct. 22, the health department’s board voted 4-3 in favor of the ban — despite Southwest's medical director testifying to the vaccine's necessity.
“Our 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,” Dr. Perry Jansen said at the meeting. “This is not a blind, everybody-gets-a-shot approach. This is a thoughtful approach.”
Opposite Jansen's plea were more than 290 public comments, many of which called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines, neither of which are happening in the district. At the meeting, many people who spoke are nationally known for making the rounds to testify against COVID vaccines, including Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas cardiologist who sells “contagion emergency kits” that include ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine — drugs that have not been approved to treat COVID-19 and can have dangerous side effects.
Board Chairman Kelly Aberasturi was familiar with many of the voices who wanted the ban, especially from earlier local protests of pandemic measures.
Aberasturi, who told The Associated Press that he's skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines and national public health leaders, said in the meeting and in an interview with the AP that he was supportive of but “disappointed” in the board's decision.
He said the board had overstepped the relationship between patients and their doctors — and possibly opened a door to blocking other vaccines or treatments.
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. (Some people may be reluctant to get vaccinated or boosted because of misinformation about the shots despite evidence that they’re safe and have saved millions of lives.)
The people getting vaccinated at the health department — including people without housing, people who are homebound and those in long-term care facilities or in the immigration process — had no other options, Jansen and Aberasturi said.
“I’ve been homeless in my lifetime, so I understand how difficult it can be when you’re ... trying to get by and get ahead,” Aberasturi said. “This is where we should be stepping in and helping.
"But we have some board members who have never been there, so they don’t understand what it’s like.”
State health officials have said that they “recommend that people consider the COVID-19 vaccine.” Idaho health department spokesperson AJ McWhorter declined to comment on “public health district business,” but noted that COVID-19 vaccines are still available at community health centers for people who are uninsured.
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, adding that the board is supposed to be caring for the “health and well-being” of the district's residents. "But I believe the way we went about this thing is we didn't do that due diligence.”
This story has been corrected to show that The Associated Press, citing Southwest District Health statistics, erroneously reported the number of COVID-19 vaccines the district provided in 2021 and 2024. The count was 8,102, not 1,601, in 2021, and 93, not 64, in 2024.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
FILE - A syringe lies next to vials of COVID-19 booster vaccines at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Geno Auriemma soaked in the moment. UConn's Hall of Fame coach now stands alone atop the NCAA basketball wins list.
Auriemma broke a tie with former Stanford women's coach Tara VanDerveer, earning his 1,217th career victory with an 85-41 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night.
“We never sat down and said hey, let's make a 40-year plan and see if we can make this happen," Auriemma said. “It's about coming here every day and trying to be better than we were yesterday.”
He has spent four decades building UConn into the standard for women’s college basketball. The school celebrated those 40 years Wednesday night.
“I know it means a lot to a lot of people here at UConn that worked really, really hard to make it possible,” Auriemma said. “You saw all the players here, means a lot to them. Every single person that had a hand in all this, means a lot to them to be a part of it, want to share in it. I'm sure when the season's over I'll be able to look back on it and think about it.”
Surrounded by the greatest players in UConn history, including Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Rebecca Lobo, Auriemma and longtime assistant Chris Dailey took in the incredible achievement in a postgame ceremony.
“It's not very often in life you get to experience something that's never been done before and that you get to experience something that will never be done again,” Lobo said.
More than 60 alums of the program were in attendance. Nearly two dozen of them played in the WNBA. The former UConn players were part of the record 11 national championships that the school has won. UConn has reached the Final Four 23 times, including in 15 of the past 16 seasons.
Before the game, the school presented the pair with ruby colored glass basketballs in honor of their 40 years at UConn. It was a day of celebrations for Auriemma and Dailey. There was a petting zoo with, fittingly, goats across from the arena as well as ice cream from the famous UConn Dairy Barn. They created a flavor “Legend-Berry Legacy” in honor of the two coaches.
The ceremony ended with a goat coming out on the red carpet and Auriemma taking a photo with it. He later said that he scratched himself while petting it.
Auriemma and Dailey received ladders from Nike and Connecticut governor Ned Lamont presented a sign that said “Welcome to Connecticut, home of the winningest coach in basketball history.”
His current team presented Auriemma with a framed jersey with the number 1,217 on it. The student section, during the final minute of the game, held up cards that spelled out 1,217.
“He gives credit to everybody around him, and he doesn’t really take it for himself,” Huskies star Paige Bueckers said. “But what he’s built here, it’s here because of him, so he definitely downplays it. He doesn’t want to do the whole thing: the celebration, the goats, the ice cream, it’s all extra to him. But he deserves it, and we want to celebrate him, because he doesn’t celebrate himself a lot. So everyone around him will make sure they do that job.”
Auriemma began his journey with UConn in 1985 and currently is 1,217-162 in his career. He has only had one losing season in his career — his first one with the Huskies. Before he came to the school from Virginia, the program had only one winning season.
VanDerveer offered her congratulations to Auriemma after the game.
“This is yet another outstanding milestone in a career filled with them for Geno Auriemma. The level of success he has maintained at UConn over four decades will never be duplicated,” she said in a statement. “But his tremendous legacy extends far beyond any number of wins. It lives in the lives of the countless young women he has positively influenced throughout his career. Congratulations to Geno and Chris on this incredible accomplishment.”
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Former UConn player Maya Moore Irons addresses the audience and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma during a post game ceremony for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma poses for a photograph with his players past and present and coaches as he is honored for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma smiles as he is honored for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, center, stands with associate head coach Chris Dailey, left, and former players Diana Taurasi, second from left, and Maya Moore Irons, right, after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson to surpass Tara VanDerveer for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma poses for a photograph with his players past and present and coaches as he is honored for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma holds a jersey presented to him by players Paige Bueckers, left, Caroline Ducharme, and Azzi Fudd, right, as he is honored for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts as former player Diana Taurasi speaks as he is honored for the most wins in college basketball history, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
