Southwest Idaho Health District Board pulls COVID vaccines from its clinics
Residents in the Southwest Idaho Health District will no longer be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at District Health offices.
The District’s Board of Health voted 4-3 Tuesday to remove the COVID-19 vaccines from its facilities after receiving around 300 public comments urging them to do so. The board vote followed anti-vaccine presentations from multiple doctors widely accused of spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation, including Idaho pathologist Dr. Ryan Cole.
Other presenters joined by teleconference, including Dr. Peter McCullough, a Texas-based cardiologist who had his medical certifications threatened by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 2022, pediatrician Dr. Renata Moon, who has sued Washington State University over free speech when the school did not renew her contract after an appearance before a 2022 U.S. Senate panel questioning vaccines, and Dr. James Thorp, an OB/GYN who was featured in the conspiracy-laden and widely debunked documentary 'Died Suddenly.'
They were invited to participate by the only physician on the Southwest District board of health, Dr. John Tribble. The board initially heard a presentation from a district staff physician, Dr. Perry Jansen, who recommended keeping the vaccine available through the health district offices.
"We really serve as a safety net provider for people who can't get health care in any other way, largely because of finances," Jansen told the board. "We're able to offer free and discounted services for people who don't have access through private care."
COVID-19 vaccines are no longer free, but public health departments can purchase them at a discount. Health insurance often covers the cost of the shots, but anyone paying out-of-pocket would pay less at their local health district clinic.
Many public comments received by the board expressed outrage at local tax dollars supporting COVID-19 vaccine distribution, but Jansen reminded the board that people who want the shots pay for them, either through insurance coverage or in cash, and the health district is not subsidizing the costs in any way.
Board chair Kelly Aberasturi questioned the authority of the board to remove vaccines for everyone, saying many going to the District for COVID vaccines are referred by their doctor.
“So now, you're telling me that I have the right to override that doctor? Because I know more than he does?” Aberasturi said.
"It has to do with the right of the individual to make that decision on their own. Not for me to dictate to them what they will do. Sorry, but this pisses me off," he added.
Tribble disagreed, saying the COVID vaccines had not been proven to be safe.
“They show up at the door, trusting us, and we continue to break that trust by saying, tacitly or otherwise, that these things, there's no risk from these.”
The CDC recommends everyone above the age of six months receive a COVID vaccine and acknowledges the potential risks.
Board member Jennifer Riebe said she didn’t agree with a lot of the CDC’s recommendations but didn't think it was the board’s role to make this kind of decision.
“My concern with this is the process because if this board and six county commissioners and one physician is going to make determinations on every single vaccine and pharmaceutical that we administer, I'm not comfortable with that," she said. "It may be COVID now, maybe we'll go down the same road with the measles vaccine or the shingles vaccine coverage.”
“I don't know why we as a health agency, as a public health agency, would want to give that or make it available when they can go other places,” said board member Viki Purdy.
Dr. David Pate, the former CEO of St. Luke's Health System who also served on the Governor's Coronavirus Task Force told Idaho Matters the decision would only serve as a financial barrier to those who wanted to get the vaccine.
"We've got tons of data now, and the fact that there is this group of physicians who is still able to promote scientific nonsense and scare people, and have a public health board of all people, fall for it, and vote in favor of vaccine disinformation is disheartening," he said.
The District serves Adams, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties. The organization had already received 50 doses of the vaccine at the time of the vote; they are still scheduled to go towards residents of a skilled nursing facility in Canyon County.
COVID vaccines are still available at other locations, like commercial pharmacies and healthcare clinics not affiliated with Southwest District Health.
Note: A draft version of this story was briefly published and has been updated
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