The board made the decision after hearing presentations from controversial doctors who opposed the vaccine.
BOISE, ID — The Southwest District Health Department will no longer offer COVID-19 vaccines.
The board made its decision on a 4-3 vote Tuesday after hours of testimony and heated debate. SWDH serves Canyon, Adams, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington counties. Its board consisted of six county commissioners and a physician representative.
“This was a difficult decision,” Owyhee County Commissioner and Board Chair Kelly Aberasturi said. “I’m…not really satisfied, but I can still understand.”
A majority of the board voted to suspend vaccinations, citing “safety concerns.” The meeting was contentious, with board members divided on whether carrying the vaccine meant the district supported it.
Dr. John Tribble, the board’s sole physician representative, said: “We are here to protect the public. If we think we may be causing harm, we need to take a step back.” spoke.
The board received hundreds of public comments calling for the vaccine to be canceled before the meeting. Payette County Commissioner Jennifer Reeve feared the decision not to offer the vaccine would create a slippery slope that could result in measles and shingles vaccines being banned.
“As a board member, I’m reluctant to make decisions about the quality of pharmaceutical products and how they’re manufactured,” she said. “I don’t think that’s our role.”
SWDH Medical Director Dr. Perry Jansen said the district should continue to provide vaccines, especially since the district serves as a “safety net” for people who have difficulty paying for medical care. said.
He acknowledged that there are some risks to coronavirus vaccines, but said the benefits often outweigh the potential complications.
“We always discuss personal interests,” he said. “It’s not blind, it’s anybody can take a shot. It’s a thoughtful approach.”
Jansen cited various health organizations and universities that still recommend the coronavirus vaccine, including the Idaho Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 and older receive up-to-date vaccines.
Tribble called the CDC’s recommendations “patently unreasonable” and said the vaccine “poses far greater risks than benefits.”
About half a dozen other doctors who testified against the vaccine, some from out of state, expressed similar sentiments during the meeting. Some have been widely accused of spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
“They were never safe and they were never effective,” says Texas cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough.
“There is no consensus that this is no benefit and all risk,” he said. “That’s not the consensus opinion of scientists and medical professionals.”
Mr Aberasturi called the decision “unfortunate”. He worries that low-income people will be disproportionately affected because people who pay out of pocket for a coronavirus vaccine will pay less through the district.
“I’m not a big fan of this shot myself,” he said. “I don’t think it’s effective, but I think that’s an issue between the doctor and the patient, not me as a board member.”
KTVB spoke with Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke’s Health System, about the decision. He also served on the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force. He said he was “shocked” that the board entertained doctors who opposed vaccines, and said the decision showed some board members were not serious about public health. .
He said there were doubts early in the pandemic. But now it’s a different story.
“The nonsense presented to this committee by anti-vaxxers is now well established to be disinformation,” Pate said. “(This) is a direct reflection of the anti-vaccine rhetoric that will unfortunately lead to further distrust of other vaccines, vaccines that we have been using for decades.”
Last year, a SWDH spokesperson said 209 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus. This year, 64 people were vaccinated.
They plan to administer the remaining doses to patients in skilled nursing facilities next week.
