The Associated Press reports that a local public health authority in Idaho has ceased distributing COVID-19 vaccinations to residents across six counties, following a close vote by its governing board. Southwest District Health has become the first in the country to face such restrictions in administering the vaccines. Typically, the provision of vaccinations is a critical role for public health departments.While certain states like Texas have prohibited health departments from advocating for COVID-19 vaccines and Florida's top medical official has advised against them, contradicting medical consensus, no government entities have previously banned the vaccines outright. "I'm not aware of any similar instances," remarked Adriane Casalotti, the director of government and public affairs for the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She noted that while health departments have sometimes halted vaccine distribution due to financial constraints or low demand, none have done so based on a judgment of the medical product itself."

The six-county region along the Idaho-Oregon border encompasses three counties within the Boise metropolitan area. There has been a significant drop in demand for COVID-19 vaccines within the health district—dropping from 1,601 vaccinations in 2021 to just 64 in 2024. This trend is mirrored in other vaccinations: Idaho holds the nation's highest rate of childhood vaccination exemptions, and last year, the Southwest District Health Department was urgently responding to a rare measles outbreak that affected 10 individuals. On October 22, the health department's board narrowly voted 4-3 to implement the ban—despite testimony from Southwest's medical director emphasizing the importance of the vaccine.

"Our request to the board is that we be permitted to stock and offer these vaccines, acknowledging that we always engage in discussions about their risks and benefits," Dr. Perry Jansen stated at the meeting. "This is not a one-size-fits-all approach where everyone receives a shot. It's a considered approach." Countering Jansen's plea were over 290 public comments, many of which demanded an end to vaccine mandates or the use of taxpayer funds for vaccines, neither of which are practices within the district. Several individuals who spoke at the meeting are well-known nationally for their opposition to COVID-19 vaccines, including Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas cardiologist who sells "contagion emergency kits" containing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine—drugs not approved for treating COVID-19 and which can have severe side effects. Board Chairman Kelly Aberasturi, who is familiar with many of the voices advocating for the ban, particularly from previous local protests against pandemic measures, expressed skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and national public health leaders. He stated in the meeting and in an interview with the AP that while he supported the ban, he was "disappointed" in the board's decision, believing it overstepped the relationship between patients and their healthcare providers and potentially paved the way for blocking other vaccines or treatments. Board members who supported the decision argued that people could receive vaccinations elsewhere and that providing the shots was tantamount to endorsing their safety.

(It's worth noting that some individuals may be hesitant to get vaccinated or boosted due to misinformation about the vaccines, despite evidence demonstrating their safety and the millions of lives they have saved.) Jansen and Aberasturi pointed out that those being vaccinated at the health department, including individuals without housing, homebound individuals, and those in long-term care facilities or undergoing immigration processes, had no other options. "I've personally experienced homelessness, so I understand the challenges one faces when trying to get by and move forward," Aberasturi said. "This is where we should intervene and offer assistance. However, some board members have never been in such a situation, so they lack understanding." State health officials have stated that they "recommend that people consider the COVID-19 vaccine." Idaho health department spokesperson AJ McWhorter declined to comment on "public health district affairs," but noted that COVID-19 vaccines remain available at community health centers for uninsured individuals. Aberasturi plans to propose at the next board meeting that the health department be allowed to vaccinate elderly patients and residents of long-term care facilities at least, adding that the board is supposed to be focused on the "health and well-being" of the district's residents. "But I believe that in handling this matter, we did not fulfill our due diligence."