The Southwest District Health board in Idaho has decided to stop providing COVID-19 vaccines in six more counties, marking a significant departure from public health practices nationwide. The vote makes the district the first in the U.S. to block its health department from distributing COVID-19 vaccines. This decision impacts an area that includes parts of the Boise metropolitan region.
The ban follows declining demand for COVID vaccines in the district, with only 64 doses administered in 2024 compared to 1,601 in 2021.
Idaho also has the highest childhood vaccination exemption rate in the country, reflecting broader skepticism toward vaccinations in the state. Last year, the department struggled to contain a measles outbreak that infected 10 individuals.
Despite these challenges, board members supporting the ban argued that residents can seek vaccinations elsewhere and expressed concerns about endorsing vaccine safety by offering the shots. The district’s medical director testified against the ban, emphasizing the vaccine’s importance, but the testimony failed to sway the board.
Chairman Kelly Aberasturi, although skeptical of the vaccine himself, said he was “disappointed” in the decision, suggesting it might set a dangerous precedent for blocking other medical treatments. Critics of the decision argue that it undermines public health and could exacerbate vaccine hesitancy in an already vulnerable region.
Last year, Republican lawmakers from Idaho introduced a bill to make administering mRNA vaccines a misdemeanor.
According to the bill’s text, “A person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state.”
