Talbot County health officer reports vaccination gains, warns of higher flu season and pockets of low childhood immunization

Dr. Fami Fahmy, Talbot County health officer, told the County Council that the health department has sharply increased vaccination outreach while warning that the coming respiratory season could be more severe than recent years.

"We reach 256, almost 300, and that is a whopping almost 300% increase," Dr. Fahmy said of a recent rabies clinic, and added, "we managed from, less than 1 year to, give almost 1,000 doses of vaccinations." He told the council the department will run another clinic in October and is working to secure additional vaccine supply.

The health officer said the department has expanded partnerships with regional universities for clinical placements and staffing; a memorandum of agreement with the University of Maryland will send nurse practitioner trainees through the department and the county is in talks with Johns Hopkins. He also highlighted a mobile integrated health (MIH) program that served 47 people last year and is on track to exceed that figure this year, and a school vision program that provided free eyeglasses to 29 children through county partnership.

Why this matters: Dr. Fahmy told the council that reduced social distancing since the COVID era and waning vaccine-derived population protection increase the risk that influenza and other vaccine-preventable illnesses could rebound. He said local surveillance — including wastewater testing for influenza A and B — shows higher peaks in recent seasons compared with 2022.

Details and supporting context

• Vaccination outreach: The department reported a substantial increase in rabies vaccinations delivered at a public clinic (256 reported) and said it has delivered close to 1,000 vaccine doses in under a year through expanded outreach and clinics.

• Clinical partnerships and staffing: The department is bringing nursing and public-health trainees into county work, with an MOA recently signed with the University of Maryland; county officials said that partnership has already produced at least one hire.

• Mobile Integrated Health (MIH): Dr. Fahmy described a home-based MIH program that connects EMS, pharmacists, nurses and outreach providers to reduce repeat emergency visits; the program served 47 people last year and is expected to surpass that total this year.

• School- and community-based programs: The health department is delivering CPR, AED and Narcan training in schools and to coaches; it also led a vision-care effort that provided free eyeglasses to 29 local students.

• Vaccine-preventable disease concerns: Dr. Fahmy warned that measles remains a risk where coverage drops and said the county has recorded three measles cases; one involved a child too young to be vaccinated. He urged vigilance about keeping childhood immunization coverage high, noting the herd-immunity thresholds needed for highly transmissible diseases.

• Youth vaping: Preliminary local survey data indicate youth vaping is present in Talbot County middle and high schools; Dr. Fahmy said girls in the county are vaping at higher rates than boys and that the county-level rate in middle school is "less than 10%" based on available (not fully current) data.

Council reaction and next steps

Council members thanked Dr. Fahmy for the update and asked that the slideshow be posted to the health department website; Dr. Fahmy agreed to do so. Council members also asked to be kept informed about MIH outcomes and water-quality topics the health officer will present to the board of health at a later date.

Ending

Dr. Fahmy closed by asking for continued community partnerships to target gaps in immunization and to prepare for the coming respiratory season. "We're going to be preaching about the vaccinations," he said. "We'll continue to be asking for more partnership, and we're open to any suggestions."