The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved unanimously a response by the county Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury’s report on immunization in the county.
According to the grand jury report, the county has the fifth lowest rate of vaccination and the second highest rate of whooping cough in the state.
The grand jury made four recommendations to address the issue. They included DHHS working with the county office of education to develop and implement a plan which addresses lack of transportation as a barrier to receiving mandated vaccinations. It also recommended DHHS assuming vaccination data oversight for schools, provide a link to www.shotsforschool.org for education on vaccinations, and all schools providing vaccination information to parents.
In response, DHHS said on the issue of transportation, a survey was conducted and found while it was a barrier to vaccinations, it was not a major barrier. A transportation assistance program by the California Health and Disability Program also would help families that needed it.
All the other recommendations, according to DHHS, have been implemented by the department.
Supervisor Mark Lovelace, chair of the board, said he thought the grand jury did a good job in their report and agreed with the response. He felt more education would be needed convince those skeptical of vaccines to give their children the shots. Lovelace stressed the county was committed to getting as many children vaccinated as it could.
“We want to do all we can to ensure every child in Humboldt County is vaccinated,” he said. “We should not be 54th out of 58 counties.”
June 28, 2016
North Coast News
By Jeremy Chen
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