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Bannock County public-health official: influenza activity "very high," measles outbreaks and federal vaccine-schedule changes warrant attention
Summary
Public-health representative Maggie Mann told Bannock County commissioners that influenza activity in the district is "very high," COVID and RSV are low, and recent HHS changes to the childhood vaccination schedule recategorize some shots (RSV, hepatitis B) and may create confusion; she urged vaccination and flagged uncertainty about impacts on the Vaccines for Children program.
Maggie Mann gave the board a public-health update on Jan. 15, saying district influenza activity is "classified as very high" and hospitalizations are rising, and she encouraged residents to get vaccinated.
"Our activity level is classified as very high," Mann said, noting the district has already surpassed last season’s peak of cases. She reported two influenza deaths in the public-health district this season compared with 12 last year and said COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are currently low.
Mann also briefed commissioners on recent measles activity in other states and a local travel-associated suspect case in Madison County. "We're about to lose that designation very likely," she said of the United States’ measles-free status, warning that measles may again occur without international travel as the primary trigger.
On federal guidance, Mann summarized a recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) childhood vaccination schedule that reclassifies some recommendations. She said RSV, previously recommended broadly, is now presented for high-risk infants, though the guidance still recommends RSV immunization for infants whose mothers did not receive a maternal RSV vaccine. Hepatitis B, historically given as a hospital birth dose, is now framed as recommended for high risk with shared clinical decision-making for others. Mann said those changes could complicate efforts to ensure newborns receive their birth dose, particularly when prenatal-care status is unknown.
Mann cautioned that the new schedule appears more a change in presentation than in clinical practice: "When you dive into the details, the recommendation is still there," she said, but added that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will review the recommendations when it meets in late February.
She noted outstanding questions about how the HHS schedule will affect the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) supply program, which provides vaccines at no cost to participating providers, and said county staff will watch for further guidance.
Commissioners asked about reasons for declining childhood vaccination rates and how to address misinformation. Mann said parents increasingly encounter mixed information online and that clinic staff try to meet parents where they are: "Our nurses are really, really good about meeting parents where they're at, helping them identify what their specific concerns are." Commissioners expressed concern about the policy environment and possible state-level changes to Medicaid that could reduce access to care.
The update closed with the board’s invitation for questions and Mann’s offer to return with further data as ACIP deliberates.
