Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Jackson County health officials warn falling vaccination rates, funding gaps threaten local vaccine access
Summary
Jackson County Public Health told the Health and Environment Committee that childhood vaccination rates have declined, the county’s Section 317 vaccine program faces a funding shortfall, and federal changes to vaccine advisory and funding processes are creating uncertainty for fall vaccine availability.
Ray Daligalecki, assistant director at Jackson County Public Health, told the Jackson County Health and Environment Committee on a standing presentation that declining vaccination coverage and shrinking federal and state support are creating strains on local vaccination services.
"The evidence is quite clear. Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in history," Daligalecki said, outlining declines in childhood immunization and pressures on local programs.
Daligalecki said Eastern Jackson County vaccination rates have fallen for three straight years for DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and polio. He said MMR coverage in Eastern Jackson County was once about 95 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic and is now as low as 86 percent in parts of the county—roughly 9 percentage points below the commonly cited community-immunity threshold for measles.
The county official told the committee that measles and other outbreaks carry substantial local costs: smaller responses can cost communities hundreds of thousands of dollars, while larger…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
