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 1,601 given in 2021 to 64 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.”
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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)
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans are searching for answers after ending the first half of their season with an embarrassing loss in prime time.
While there are plenty of things for the Texans (6-3) to clean up after Thursday night’s 21-13 loss to the Jets, the good news is that they still have a two-game lead in the AFC South.
“This isn’t the end, but it’s definitely a great wakeup call for us to tighten up the ship,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “This is now playoff football, it’s November-December, this is the chunk of our schedule, a lot of great teams we are playing on prime time and we’ve got to be able to find ways to win.”
Perhaps the most pressing issue for the Texans is their inability to protect Stroud. The second-year quarterback was sacked a season-high eight times Thursday night and he has been sacked 30 times this season, a total that ranks second in the NFL to Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, who is out for the season.
“I’m not sure what’s happening upfront … but obviously we give up eight sacks, and every drop back or pass situation, it looks like we’re in scramble mode,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, it’s just not good enough and we can’t operate on time and we’ve got to get that fixed.”
Stroud said it’s “not easy” getting hit as many times as he has been this season but added that there are things he can do to avoid some of those hits.
“I know those guys that play up front are fighting and we’ve got to do a better job of just getting those guys better opportunities to block those guys,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that need to be fixed, ultimately. One thing I can do is just get the ball out faster, too.”
The Texans are also dealing with injuries to receivers Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins that have slowed their passing game. Diggs is out for the season with a knee injury, but Collins is eligible to return next week after missing four games with a hamstring injury.
Despite the problems, Stroud remains confident that the team can improve and get back on track to finish the season strong.
“It’s not the time to hang our heads down and feel sorry for ourselves,” Stroud said. “It’s time to answer the call and we have guys in that locker room that I believe in and trust in and I think we’ll be able to be a really good football team.”
Joe Mixon’s great start to the season has made the running game the strength of the team. Mixon, who is in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati, has had at least 100 yards rushing and a touchdown in four straight games.
He's had 100 yards rushing in five of his six games this season. The only time he didn’t reach the mark was in Week 2 when he missed most of the second half with an ankle injury that kept him out the next three games.
“Joe has been great every game for us,” Ryans said. “I mean, every game Joe has touched the ball, he’s gotten over 100 yards … Joe’s relentless. He has that sense of urgency. We just need everybody else around him to play the same way."
As mentioned above, the Texans must find a way to protect Stroud better. Ryans said he’s going to consider everything to fix the problem, including personnel changes.
“It’s not good enough and we’ve got things (to) adjust,” Ryans said. “We’ve got to adjust. We’ve got to change things moving forward.”
WR Tank Dell had six receptions for a season-high 126 yards Thursday night for his first 100-yard game this season. He hasn't been as productive this year as he was a rookie when he had 709 yards receiving in 11 games. The Texans need him to continue to play well with Diggs out for the season.
K Ka’imi Fairbairn had missed only two field goals through the first eight games before missing two on Thursday night. He missed one from 56 yards in the second quarter and his 27-yard attempt in the fourth quarter hit the left upright for another miss.
DE Will Anderson didn’t play in the second half after injuring his ankle against the Jets. … LG Kenyon Green injured his left shoulder Thursday night. ... RB Dameon Pierce missed Thursday's game with a groin injury.
11 — Will Anderson, last year's AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, leads the NFL with 11 tackles for loss.
The Texans have time to regroup and try to clean up some of their issues before their next game on Nov. 10 when they host the Lions on “Sunday Night Football.”
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Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) celebrates his catch against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, center, and safety Jarius Monroe (39) during the first half an NFL football game Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) runs for a touchdown as quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) gestures during the first half an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, top, evades a tackle by New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick during the first half an NFL football game Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
