Idaho district health department bans COVID-19 vaccines

Politicians continue to dispute COVID-19 vaccine safety at the national level. Regionally, online posts discuss vaccine access and whooping cough vaccines.

This week, a regional health department and some high-profile political figures captured the attention—and accolades—of vaccine opponents by promoting false claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety. A health department in Idaho became the first in the country to ban COVID-19 vaccination in its clinics, a decision that continues to fuel anti-vaccine discourse online over a week later. Meanwhile, online conversation spiked after Vice President-elect J.D. Vance claimed on a popular podcast to have suffered “severe” COVID-19 vaccine side effects, and a U.S. senator criticized the CDC’s updated pediatric COVID-19 vaccination schedule.

Regional conversations were dominated by policies that may impact vaccine access and uptake.

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What’s trending nationally in vaccine conversation:

On October 22, the board of the Southwest District Health Division in Idaho narrowly voted to end the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines at district clinics because of so-called “safety” concerns. According to a representative for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, this is the first time that a health department in the United States has restricted the use of COVID-19 vaccines. Notably, multiple prominent anti-vaccine activists spoke at the meeting, including a discredited physician best known for promoting anti-vaccine myths and a health care worker who popularized the “Died Suddenly” conspiracy theory. A board chairman argued that the board overstepped and could be opening the door to similar restrictions on other vaccines and medical treatments. Although residents will still be able to get COVID-19 vaccines from pharmacies and clinics not affiliated with the health department, much of this region is rural and will be impacted by the restriction. In conversations online, vaccine opponents celebrated Idaho for “leading the way” in opposing COVID-19 vaccines.

On a recent episode of a popular podcast, U.S. senator and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine caused him “severe” side effects that left him bed-bound for two days. The politician also claimed that he knew of other public figures, including another senator, who had similar experiences and were too afraid to talk about it for fear of being labeled an “anti-vaxxer.” In response, several social media accounts noted that some of the symptoms Vance described are normal vaccine side effects, while others called COVID-19 vaccines poison and argued against vaccine mandates. The story is trending in multiple languages across social media platforms.

The CDC updated its COVID-19 vaccine schedule to recommend that children ages 6 months to 4 years who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine receive a multidose initial series of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendation sparked outrage among vaccine opponents, including a U.S. senator. Some social media users called the recommendations unnecessary, “devastating,” and “anti-science,” while others argued that the government should close the border to prevent the spread of disease. Popular posts repeated false claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety, criticized the pediatric vaccine schedule, and claimed that they would never give their child any vaccine.

Read the fact checks: 

• Infectious Diseases Society of America: Understanding Vaccine Safety 
• Science Feedback: How health problems after COVID-19 vaccination are sometimes used to feed misinformation narratives
• AAP: What do parents need to know about the COVID vaccine for babies and young kids?

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What’s happening in the Northeast:

A Cincinnati-based social media user shared their experience of a local hospital charging them $470 for COVID-19 and flu vaccinations because of an unknown lapse in insurance coverage. The user encouraged others to check their insurance coverage before getting vaccinated and to seek out lower-cost options such as pharmacies for vaccines. The post received dozens of responses, including several commenters expressing frustration with the lack of transparency in the U.S. health care system and the barriers for uninsured individuals who want to get vaccinated.

What’s happening in the South:

Following an order from the governor, Texas hospitals will now be required to ask patients about their immigration status in the United States. A social media post sharing a news article about the new policy sparked a debate on the potential impact on immunization uptake, as it may deter undocumented immigrants from seeking routine medical care. Some commenters emphasized the importance of access to vaccines for all to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, while others suggested that knowing patients’ immigration status might help health care providers estimate vaccination history.

What’s happening in the Midwest:

A Michigan state senator recently claimed in a social media post that a scheduled health policy hearing for senate bills that would update school immunization policies was canceled due to widespread public opposition. The proposed bills would modify Michigan’s public health code to adopt the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule, require that parents submit a certificate of immunization or statement of exemption for their child, and require school districts to report student immunization status. Many responses to the post thanked the senator for being “pro-parent,” while others criticized him for being anti-vaccine. A Michigan-based “health freedom” group celebrated the news and encouraged followers to advocate to avoid “losing parental rights.”

What’s happening in the West:

In a November 2 social media post, the Washington State Department of Health encouraged vaccination to fight rising whooping cough cases in the state. Although some responses expressed interest in adult vaccination, others revealed distrust in the pertussis vaccine and vaccines generally. One commenter accused the department of lying and another argued that natural immunity and supplements are superior to vaccination.

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Recommendations for public health professionals

Each week the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web pages and FAQs, and to inform strategy for messaging about vaccines.

Government officials restricting the use of COVID-19 vaccines based on false claims about safety sets a precedent that may influence other regional governments. Debunking messaging may emphasize that research over the last four years has found strong evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Messaging may also explain that since the first COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial in 2020, scientists worldwide have repeatedly demonstrated the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people of all ages. Emphasizing that over 70 percent of the world’s population—5.5 billion people—have safely received COVID-19 vaccines is recommended.

Anti-vaccine messages from prominent public figures, especially politicians, can have long-term impacts on public perception and acceptance of vaccines. Responding with transparency and sympathy towards those who reported adverse reactions is recommended, as is emphasizing that serious adverse reactions to vaccination are extremely rare. Explaining that it’s up to health and legal authorities to determine whether an adverse side effect occurred after vaccination is also recommended, as is explaining that vaccine opponents often use false claims of adverse reactions to discourage people from vaccination. 

False and misleading narratives about the safety and necessity of COVID-19 vaccines for children are widespread and may influence parents to delay or skip vaccinations for their children. Messaging may explain that pediatricians and other experts recommend vaccination to keep children and their families safe from COVID-19. Messaging may also emphasize that, although children are less likely to die from COVID-19, the disease can still make them very sick and cause them to develop long-term health complications, including long COVID and an increased risk for diabetes.

Interested in recommendations tailored to health care providers? Click here.