A regional public health agency in Idaho has made headlines as the first in the nation to completely stop offering COVID-19 vaccines following a tight 4-3 vote by its board.
Southwest District Health, which serves six counties along the Idaho-Oregon border—including parts of the Boise metro area—will no longer provide COVID-19 vaccinations. This move has raised alarms among public health experts, who note that even in states like Florida and Texas, health departments haven’t gone so far as to block vaccine access outright.
«This is unprecedented,» said Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. She explained that while some departments have scaled back vaccinations due to low demand or cost, this is the first time one has stopped based on opposition to the vaccine itself.
Despite a steep drop in demand—from over 1,600 doses in 2021 to just 64 so far in 2024—the department’s medical director, Dr. Perry Jansen, urged the board to continue offering the shots, stressing the importance of having an option available, particularly for vulnerable populations.
“We’re not taking a one-size-fits-all approach,” Jansen said during the meeting. “We’re asking for the ability to offer the vaccine responsibly.”
His appeal was met with resistance. Over 290 public comments—many from vaccine skeptics and national anti-vaccine figures like Dr. Peter McCullough—called for an end to vaccine access, despite no mandates or forced funding in place.
Board Chair Kelly Aberasturi, although personally skeptical of the vaccine, criticized the board’s decision, saying it intruded on the doctor-patient relationship and could set a troubling precedent.
“We’re supposed to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our residents,” Aberasturi said, highlighting how the most affected by the ban would be the homeless, elderly, homebound, or those in immigration custody, who often rely on public health services.
While Idaho state health officials continue to recommend the vaccine and note that it remains available through community clinics, Aberasturi plans to request a reconsideration—at least to allow vaccines for older adults and long-term care residents.
“I think we failed to do our due diligence,” he concluded.
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