By Laura Guido / South Whidbey Record
In the midst of county budget discussions, the role of Island County Public Health in delivering vaccinations for students is coming into question.
Last year, the board of commissioners decided to use 2018 to gather data on the immunization program to reevaluate it and perhaps cut it altogether. The health department runs an immunization clinic on Mondays at the North Whidbey Family Resource Center in Oak Harbor.
Public Health Director Keith Higman recently presented the commissioners with some of the data collected over the year about who is served and what other options are available. During the presentation, the county’s part in state-mandated vaccination compliance in schools came into question.
Although 2018 data was not provided, South Whidbey schools had over 12 percent non-compliance in 2017, according to county health officials. And Coupeville had a little over 8 percent. These students either were not up to date or didn’t submit the required documents — either vaccine records or an exemption form.
There is no clinic provided by the county on South Whidbey. Health officials surveyed parents of public school children, and according to the report, South Whidbey parents “seemed to be resolved to driving off-island to find pediatric care.”
They also reported the WhidbeyHealth clinic isn’t always adequately stocked with the needed immunizations.
However, survey results indicated Oak Harbor parents voiced the most frustration with access to pediatric or primary care.
Oak Harbor School District had around 200 students out of compliance, according to the district.
The remaining 97 percent of the student population is compliant.
The health department held a clinic at its Oak Harbor center recently to address some of the district’s need.
Commissioner Jill Johnson asked at the meeting if Island County should continue its role in helping vaccinate students and whether the district should take more responsibility.
“There’s enough money going into that system for them to be able to figure out how to immunize their kids,” she said.
Johnson said later in an interview that, during budget discussions, she is assessing the county’s role in all programs and whether or not those services are best provided by other agencies that might have more capacity.
District officials said Oak Harbor schools don’t provide a clinic for immunizations like the ones hosted by volunteer organizations for sport physicals or flu shots, but it would be open to it.
“If an organization were to offer vaccinations by volunteer physicians or nurses we would welcome it, but no one has spoken to us about this,” a district spokesman said in an email.
• More information about the Island County immunization program will be presented at the county Board of Health meeting at 1 p.m., Oct. 16. No decision has been made yet as to the future of the program.
This story originally appeared in the South Whidbey Record, a sibling paper of The Daily Herald.
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