DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Colleen Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager, Interim Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: A briefing on Metro Health’s Immunization Plan.
SUMMARY:
Metro Health will provide a briefing on their immunization plan to include childhood vaccinations, flu vaccinations, and the preparation for COVID-19 vaccinations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Concerns have been raised about the decline in childhood vaccination rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this year, flu vaccination is more important than ever considering that the San Antonio community is still being affected by ongoing community transmission of COVID-19. Although the Immunization program staff was assigned to the COVID-19 response between March and August 2020, they were recently demobilized from the COVID-19 response to focus on increasing vaccination rates in San Antonio/Bexar County and plan for the upcoming flu season. The Immunization Program recently re-opened its Eastside Clinic (by appointment) and has opened an outreach vaccination clinic at Frank Garret Center (by appointment) and are developing vaccination plans for the 2020-2021 school year and the 2020-2021 flu season.
ISSUE:
Metro Health would like the opportunity to brief the Community Health and Equity Committee about the steps it is currently taking to address concerns about the decline in immunization coverage.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for briefing purposes only.