An Idaho health department isn’t allowed to give COVID-19 vaccines anymore. Experts say it’s a first

AP Health Writer

A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department. The six-county district along the Idaho-Oregon border includes three counties in the Boise metropolitan area. The board chairman and the department’s medical director are worried that the vaccine won’t be as easily available for older residents, people who are homeless and others.