Dunn County public health flags low childhood MMR coverage, avian flu and high respiratory season

Katie, the Department of Public Health staff lead, told the board on Feb. 27 that Dunn County’s MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) up-to-date rate at 24 months is about 76.9 percent — well below the roughly 95 percent level public health officials say is needed to prevent measles outbreaks. Katie said the CDC reported about 133 measles cases nationally tied to a largely unvaccinated outbreak in West Texas near New Mexico and reminded the board that measles is highly transmissible; roughly one in five cases have required hospitalization in the recent outbreak and the national outbreak has recorded at least one child death.

Katie said county vaccination coverage varies by school district; the Menomonie area was listed at about 89 percent, other districts ranged lower. She said the county and state public-health partners have improved measles surveillance but that federal data updates were previously infrequent and are now weekly.

On high-path avian influenza, Katie said Dunn County has had both commercial and backyard flock infections; the most recent Wisconsin outbreak listed on the state DATCP website was in December. She told the board Wisconsin’s agencies have improved interagency coordination since initial events two years ago. Katie and Dr. Hall noted growing concerns about avian influenza detections in additional species; Katie said there is evidence in some places of transmission from dairy cows to people and to household pets and that Wisconsin is not participating in a national milk-testing program, so raw-milk testing within the state is limited. Dr. Hall said pasteurization makes milk safe for consumers and warned that raw milk’s status cannot be confirmed without testing.

Katie also reported high circulation of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). She cited a new MMWR interim estimate that this season’s flu vaccine is providing protection against hospitalization and severe outcomes in older adults and others, and she noted local influenza vaccination uptake is low: about 24 percent in Dunn County and roughly one-third statewide. Dr. Hall and board members described strain on medical capacity and anecdotal reports of crowded clinics and emergency departments.

Katie said the health department requested a pilot policy to allow infants at work but human resources cited county liability concerns and did not approve the pilot. She also described an open records request from Representative Shay Sortwell’s office and the state Committee on Government Operations, Accountability and Transparency (referred to in the meeting as the GOAT Committee) seeking DEI-related grant records, training titles and staff roles; Katie said compiling those records across multiple county departments will be time-consuming and that county counsel and Wisconsin Counties Association counsel have been engaged.

Board members asked about age and eligibility for vaccines; Katie encouraged discussions with personal providers and noted ACIP recommendations vary by vaccine. Katie also said the health department submitted a federal rural health-equity planning grant application and noted about $52,000 of unspent public-health ARPA funds for which the board later approved a budget adjustment (see Votes at a glance).