Howard County commissioners approve county flu vaccinations for employees

Howard County Board of Commissioners approved a purchase of 175 influenza vaccine doses for county employees at $19 per dose, totaling about $3,325, during their regular meeting. Health department staff told commissioners the department administered 86 employee doses last season and proposed ordering 175 doses for the 2025–26 season to maintain availability. “We’ve had a decrease each year, it seems, of employees taking advantage of the county flu shots,” the health department representative said, and staff noted wider availability at retail pharmacies likely contributes to lower county clinic uptake. Commissioner Lipinski moved to accept the county flu vaccine purchase; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The vote was taken by voice; individual roll-call votes were not recorded. Discussion centered on the lower take-up rate last season and the proposed order size and cost. Staff said doses will be available through the county clinic and that employees may also obtain vaccines at retail pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens. The approval authorizes the county to purchase the 175 doses at the stated price; no additional policy or mandatory vaccination requirement was adopted. Officials said they will push outreach to encourage employees to get vaccinated before the start of the school year and flu season. No implementation timeline beyond the purchase authorization was specified.