January 29, 2026 8:03 am
Clark County, Health, News 
Tamine Robinson of Battle Ground, left, holds her daughter Riley, 1, as registered nurse Julie Ward administers the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at Legacy Medical Group in Vancouver on March 1, 2019. (The Columbian files)
Student medical assistant Megan Kivari, left, places vaccines on a tray under the supervision of mentor Miriam Castro-Vega on July 23 at Kaiser Cascade Park Medical in Vancouver. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian files)
Doses of COVID-19 vaccine are prepared at Ridgefield High School in 2021. The CDC now recommends COVID shots for children only after consultation with a clinician. (Amanda Cowan/ The Columbian files)
Student medical assistant Megan Kivari extracts a vaccine from a bottle July 23 at Kaiser Cascade Park Medical in Vancouver. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian files)
Dr. Alan Melnick Clark County Public Health director
Vaccination rates for Clark County’s K-12 students have been slipping over the past five years, and with recent federal rollbacks in childhood immunization recommendations, local health officials fear there will be serious, long-term impacts on community health.
“My concern is that by not recommending them routinely anymore, we’re going to see a drop-off in vaccination rates, and children are going to die because of this,” Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick said.
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