Vaccinations

State health officials say they are still investigating the case, but that they do not believe the general public is currently at risk. This is the state’s first confirmed measles case this year.

The state tests sewage from treatment facilities in six Vermont communities several times a week to monitor for certain diseases. This is the first time measles has been detected through the program, which began testing for the virus last summer.

Dr. Rick Hildebrant became Vermont's newest Health Commissioner in October.

For now, the CDC’s changes should not keep families in Vermont from accessing the shots the federal government once universally endorsed.

The state health department reiterated earlier this week that all newborns should be immunized against the highly contagious viral infection, which can cause fatal cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life.

A new study, published last month in JAMA Pediatrics, found that states that repealed all non-medical exemptions saw higher vaccination rates. States like Vermont, which left other exemptions on the books? Not so much.

Vermont’s announcement follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to significantly narrow eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines, and is the latest example of a state breaking with the federal government over immunizations.

Vermont leaders and doctors react to the CDC's changes to COVID vaccine guidance.

The bulk of the $7 million retracted from the Vermont Department of Health had been dedicated to collaborative initiatives like making multilingual, educational videos about vaccinations and setting up pediatric vaccine clinics outside regular office hours.

Nearly 30 people in Vermont have come down with whooping cough this summer. The disease, also known as pertussis, is caused by a bacteria that damages the airways of the lungs. It's is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.