Its board made the decision in a 4-3 vote on Tuesday after hours of testimony and heated debate. SWDH serves Canyon, Adams, Gem, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties. Its board it made up of six county commissioners and one physician representative.
"It was a difficult decision," said Kelly Aberasturi, Owyhee County Commissioner and board chair. "Though I'm ... not real happy with it, I still understand it."
The majority of the board decided to pull the vaccines because of what they are calling "safety concerns." The meeting was contentious, with board members disagreeing about whether carrying the vaccines means the district is endorsing them.
“We are here to protect the public," said Dr. John Tribble, the sole physician representative on the board. "If we have the possibility that we are doing harm, we need to take a step back.
The board received hundreds of public comments before the meeting asking them to pull the vaccines. Payette County Commissioner Jennifer Riebe worried deciding not to offer the vaccines would create a slippery slope, opening up the possibility of banning the measles vaccine or the shingles vaccine.
