Park County schedules fall vaccination clinics and confirms disease‑investigator hire; avian flu flock loss noted

Park County health officials outlined several upcoming vaccination clinics and said the county has hired a disease‑intervention specialist who will begin Nov. 3, expanding the department’s capacity for communicable‑disease investigations and clinic work.

The department’s environmental health official provided clinic dates: Oct. 21 at Gardner High School (10 a.m.–6 p.m.); Nov. 6 at Wilson Elementary (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) and Shields Valley High School (2 p.m.–6 p.m.); and Nov. 11 at the City‑County Complex (10 a.m.–2 p.m.). The official said additional clinics are planned for Cook City and that the department intends to offer vaccinations at two local nursing homes, at group homes and at one local business.

On staffing, the official said a replacement for a recently vacated disease‑intervention role will start Nov. 3 and brings clinical experience and an RN license, which could enable the department to add maternal‑child home visits, daycare inspections and vaccination services. "They start on November 3," the official said.

The board also heard an update on avian influenza. A board member (S1) summarized state tracking since 2022 and said Park County identified its first known flock loss in Cook County; state agencies (Department of Livestock and DPHHS) planned a release to explain statewide figures. The board was told there was no known human transmission and that monitoring continued at the 10‑day mark.

Why it matters: The new disease‑intervention hire and clinic schedule expand local capacity for vaccine access and outbreak investigation, while the avian influenza report signals continued animal‑health surveillance that can inform local risk communication.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with scheduled clinics and report on the new hire’s program integration at upcoming meetings; the county will monitor state reports about affected flocks.