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Jefferson County Public Health reports strong school vaccination coverage, expands mobile clinic and home‑visiting services
Summary
At a July 2 commission meeting, Public Health Director Katie Russell gave a semiannual report highlighting a new mobile clinic, near‑universal kindergarten vaccine coverage, growth in WIC enrollment and expansion of home visiting programs; staff also outlined a nicotine‑replacement program and updated emergency preparedness steps.
Katie Russell, Jefferson County public health director, told the Board of Commissioners on July 2 that the department has added a mobile clinic, broadened home‑visiting services and is beginning a nicotine replacement outreach program.
The department’s headline numbers showed low nonmedical exemption rates and high vaccine completion for schoolchildren. “That bottom number, 94.9 percent of all of our students, are complete with their required school vaccine,” Russell said. She also noted the county has “the lowest nonmedical exemption rate for kindergarteners for any vaccine in the state,” reporting a 5.1 percent exemption rate.
Russell said the mobile clinic — which staff have used at the Burns Center, Thursday markets and other public events — is fully wrapped and in active use. Family Connects and WIC services are expanding; Russell said Family Connects is continuing to build fidelity to the national model and has established a Community Alignment Board to strengthen referrals to local partners.
WIC enrollment rose above 1,000 participants, Russell reported. She said breastfeeding initiation in the WIC population is high but that six‑month exclusive breastfeeding dropped to 39 percent, an 8‑percentage‑point decline from the previous year. “We’re looking into that, and then also, we’ve done some lactation training, and… continue to work with our families,” she said.
On communicable diseases, Russell said chlamydia is down slightly, gonorrhea rates are low and syphilis cases have shown month‑to‑month variability driven in part by testing increases. The department is “keeping an eye on” chronic hepatitis C and lead case reports and conducts investigations when cases are identified.
Health promotion staff reported procedural work to begin a nicotine replacement therapy program; Russell said the program’s policies and pharmacy protocols were completed so the outreach could begin July 1. The department also placed six commercial “air scrubbers” around the community for heat‑and‑smoke response and updated the county all‑hazards preparedness plan.
Russell highlighted Family Connects’ outreach efforts, expanded Spanish immersion training for staff funded by the Oregon Health Authority and a new partner presence from PacificSource at a Family Connects meeting. She also noted a new “baby cocoon” nurse was trained and that the county has maintained caseloads for Babies First and Healthy Families programs despite staffing adjustments.
Commissioners praised the report and asked a few clarifying questions about staffing and next steps. Russell said the department plans to return with a fuller annual report at the December update.
Ending: The presentation emphasized incremental program growth rather than new policy, and staff said they would return in December with an annual summary of program outcomes and fiscal impacts.
