Vermont Public Health Association

02/20/2026

Yesterday, Vermont's Vaccine Coalition met for its second meeting. The event was headlined by Dana Howe, Communications Director for Vaccinate Your Family.

Between Dana's presentation and the ensuing discussion, we created a fantastic list of communication resources and trusted vaccine news/media outlets that can help make sense of our rapidly evolving vaccine landscape.

Follow the link to see Dana's slides and the full list of resources with links.

And.... here's a shout-out to some of the folks and orgs who made the cut. Who did we miss? Do you have a go-to resource for trusted information on vaccines?

Vaccinate Your Family
Voices for Vaccines
Public Health Communications Collaborative
The Evidence Collective
Immunize Org
Your Local Epidemiologist
Paul Offit MD
Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS
Jess Steier
Caitlin Rivers
STAT's Morning Rounds newsletter
Zero Hour Health's Executive Briefing
Morning Vax View newsletter

February’s Vaccine Coalition meeting was headlined by Dana Howe, Communications Director for Vaccinate Your Family. Her presentation and subsequent discussion surfaced a plethora of resources to help us stay informed and empowered in this quickly changing vaccine landscape. Dana’s full presentat...

02/19/2026

Flu season got you down? Wondering how the season is developing and the impact/effectiveness of vaccines?

Join VtPHA and our invited guest speaker, CSL Seqirus' Andrew Rennekamp, PhD, at our March Lunch-and-Learn.

Dr. Rennekamp will be providing a timely update on the current influenza season, including U.S. and regional epidemiologic trends and what we have learned as the season has unfolded. Topics will include observed vaccine effectiveness, the impact of strain mismatch—particularly H3N2 antigenic drift—and how advanced influenza vaccine technologies are designed to mitigate these challenges.

The session will conclude with practical public‑health‑focused takeaways for the remainder of the season and implications for future influenza planning.

Follow the link for more on Dr. Rennekamp and a link to register for this free event.

VtPHA is excited to host CSL Seqirus’ Senior Medical Science Liaison for Vaccines – Andrew Rennekamp – as the speaker for our March Lunch-and-Learn. Dr. Rennekamp will be providing a timely update on the current influenza season, including U.S. and regional epidemiologic trends and what we hav...

02/18/2026

The Vermont Vaccine Coalition will be meeting in February virtually and in-person at the South Burlington Library.

Our invited speaker for the meeting is Dana Howe, MS, Communications Director for Vaccinate Your Family . Dana will help us further explore the dominate theme from our January meeting: how to address growing vaccine confusion, skepticism, and rejection.

If you or your organization would like to attend the meeting, please reach out to events@vtpha.org for more information.

02/17/2026

VtPHA will be supporting the Vermont Legislature's Public Health Caucus as it hosts its first meeting of the year tomorrow, February 18th, in Room 267 of the Pavilion Building in Montpelier.

The topic is as timely as it is important: How To Speak with Constituents About Vaccines and the Vaccine Bill (H.545).

The meeting takes place from noon - 1:00pm.

02/16/2026

In the previous 10 years, discussion about transgender and nonbinary peoples’ access to gender-affirming care has been openly and hotly debated on public platforms, including during the most recent presidential election. Policies restricting transgender and nonbinary people’s access to potentially life-saving healthcare services are being proposed at increasing rates.

Meanwhile, transgender and nonbinary people who rely on these services to alleviate distress with their bodies (i.e., gender affirming care) are exposed to this discourse regarding their rights to healthcare services, which may worsen their mental health as they anticipate losing access to needed services.

On February 11, 2026, VtPHA hosted UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences' Dr. Teresa Graziano to share their findings from an online survey of 517 transgender and nonbinary people across the country who fear losing access to gender affirming care in the next 4 years.

In case you missed it, the event recording is provided below.

In the previous 10 years, discussion about transgender and nonbinary peoples’ access to gender-affirming care has been openly and hotly debated on public pla...

02/12/2026

In 2025, the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) released its 2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). A direct response to findings from the 2024 State Health Assessment, the SHIP is a five-year roadmap for ensuring that all people and communities in Vermont have inclusive, equitable, and sustainable access to opportunities for health and well-being. It provides a framework for how agencies, organizations, and communities can take steps to address the most important health needs for people in the state.​

On January 14th, SHIP participants led a VtPHA Lunch-and-Learn to discuss the quantitative and qualitative data that led to the development of the Plan, how the state is implementing the Plan, and how you can use it to guide and support your work.

In case you missed it - here's a recording of the webinar. Thank you to our wonderful presenters: Katie Stetler, Amanda Froeschle and Amanda Jordan Smith.

In 2025, the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) released its 2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). A direct response to findings from the 2024 Stat...

01/20/2026

Join us this Friday, January 23rd, for an exclusive conversation with Department of Health's Dr. Rick Hildebrant.

In October, Vermont Governor Governor Phil Scott appointed Dr. Rick Hildebrant to serve as the state’s newest Commissioner of Health.

Dr. Hildebrant takes the helm of the Vermont Department of Health at an important moment. From rapidly changing federal policies and funding priorities to persistent challenges to Vermont’s public health infrastructure, Dr. Hildebrant will need the support of the entire public health community to navigate these uncertain times.

On January 23rd, we invite you to join fellow VtPHA members for an exclusive conversation with Dr. Hildebrant. After hearing the Commissioner’s initial vision for VDH, we will open the floor for questions and dialogue.

Date: January 23rd, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 12:45pm
Location: Virtual
Note: VTPHA Members Only

For more information on how to become a member and register - please follow the link below. We hope to see you there.

https://vtpha.org/event-meet-vermonts-new-health-commissioner/

01/15/2026

The cuts are being reversed...

This is not the way to lead. Chaotic, callous, and destructive.

Many of the affected grant programs had bipartisan support and President Donald Trump has supported them in the past.

01/15/2026

This week the Trump administration canceled billions of dollars of congressionally-appropriated Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants. These grants provide critical funding for critical mental health and substance use services that help save lives every day.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness' CEO, Daniel H. Gillison, Jr, summed up the devastating impact this will have on our most vulnerable community members.

“These cuts are disheartening and cruel, and they threaten the life-saving work of hundreds of organizations that provide critical mental health support across the United States. Addressing our mental health and substance use crises in this country has never been political, which is why it continues to have bipartisan support in Congress. These abrupt and unjustified cuts will immediately disrupt su***de prevention efforts, family and peer recovery support, overdose prevention and treatment, and mental health awareness and education programming, along with so many more essential services, putting an unknown number of lives at stake. These aren’t just numbers on paper. These are decisions that have real and harmful consequences for millions of people and communities around the country.”

For NAMI's full press release, follow the link.

https://www.nami.org/press-releases/nami-reacts-to-abrupt-termination-of-samhsa-grants/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPVoLFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3RW1scGY0RXNUMmN6akY1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHroDUClXrIWDvkuqRJ4rcc0i5y1jWEf3SVIejvm8-EEIeW4a8M5J9GHYkVyA_aem_IBVe6GoEiZPFgDGQYbo0rA

01/09/2026

In October, Vermont Phil Scott appointed Dr. Rick Hildebrant to serve as the state’s newest Commissioner of Health.

Dr. Hildebrant takes the helm of the Department of Health (VDH) at an important moment. From rapidly changing federal policies and funding priorities to persistent challenges to Vermont’s public health infrastructure, Dr. Hildebrant will need the support of the entire public health community to navigate these uncertain times.

On January 23rd, we invite you to join fellow VtPHA members for an exclusive conversation with Dr. Hildebrant. After hearing the Commissioner’s initial vision for VDH, we will open the floor for questions and dialogue.

Date: January 23rd, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 12:45pm
Location: Virtual
Note: VTPHA Members Only

For more information on how to become a member and register - please follow the link below. We hope to see you there.

In October, Vermont Governor Phil Scott appointed Dr. Rick Hildebrant to serve as the state’s newest Commissioner of Health.  Dr. Hildebrant takes the helm of the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) at an important moment. From rapidly changing federal policies and funding priorities to persistent...

01/05/2026

In 2025, the Vermont Department of Health released its 2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). A direct response to findings from the 2024 State Health Assessment, the SHIP is a five-year roadmap for ensuring that all people and communities in Vermont have inclusive, equitable, and sustainable access to opportunities for health and well-being.

Join VtPHA’s January Lunch and Learn to discuss the quantitative and qualitative data that led to the development of the Plan, how the state is implementing the Plan, and how you can use it to guide and support your work.

Date: January 14th, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Virtual

Thanks in advance to our presenters: Katie Stetler (Vermont Department of Health), Amanda Froeschle ( Health - Porter Medical Center) and Amanda Jordan Smith (. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center).

Speakers bios and a link to registration can be found here:

In 2025, the Vermont Department of Health released its 2025-2030 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). A direct response to findings from the 2024 State Health Assessment, the SHIP is a five-year roadmap for ensuring that all people and communities in Vermont have inclusive, equitable, and sustainab...

12/29/2025

My son is 12 years old. A few months ago, his school sent an email about a growing concern: caffeine pouches. Marketed to kids, these products are indistinguishable from ni****ne pouches and can contain up to 200mg of caffeine.

Marketed with names like Berserker, On!, Fuze, and Mojo, they come in a wide variety of flavors like mint, melon Ice, and wintergreen.

Caffeine-related visits to U.S. emergency departments nearly doubled among middle and high school students between 2017 and 2023. In 2023, poison control centers recorded a 24% rise in calls about young people with reactions to energy drinks.

Why are we caffeinating our children?

Here's a helpful article to help us all brush up on the impacts that caffeine has on children and how to help kids make healthier choices.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/the-effects-of-caffeine-on-kids-a-parents-guide.aspx