ISLAND COUNTY NEWS & UPDATES

From Commissioner Melanie Bacon, September 2026 …

Public Health Update: Immunization Guidance by Population for Respiratory Illnesses. With respiratory viruses spreading locally, we are sharing the current 2026-2027 immunization guidelines from the West Coast Health Alliance for COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV. Here is a quick breakdown of the recommendations.

• Children & Infants. COVID-19: Recommended for ages 6–23 months, ages 2–18 with risk factors or never vaccinated, close contacts of high-risk individuals, and anyone wanting to reduce severe illness. Influenza: Recommended for everyone 6 months and older. (Note: Two doses are recommended for ages 6 months–8 years getting the flu shot for the first time). RSV: Protected via prenatal RSV vaccine, or an infant dose of nirsevimab or clesrovimab (for those under 8 months, plus 8–19 months with risk factors).

• Pregnancy & Postpartum. COVID-19 & Influenza: Recommended for all planning pregnancy, currently pregnant, or postpartum. RSV: Recommended for those at 32–36 weeks gestational age.

• Adults. COVID-19: Recommended for adults 65 and older, ages 19–64 with risk factors, close contacts of high-risk individuals, and anyone wanting to lower their risk of severe illness. Influenza: Recommended for all adults. RSV: Recommended for adults 75 and older, and ages 50–74 with risk factors.

• For local information on where to find all these vaccines, please visit Island County Respiratory Illness Immunization Info: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/1072/Immunizations

From Commissioner Janet St. Clair, September 2026 …

Dear Friends,

It has been an incredibly busy time for the BOCC and very challenging as the Board works to finalize major policy measures including ongoing budget decisions and the (SMP) ShorelineMaster Program per the 2016 Comprehensive Plan, adopted January 19, 2016. The tension between shoreline property owners seeking to protect their homes and the needs for sustainable ecosystems in our island communities was very real.

Part of what was confusing was that this decision was a much delayed action from the 201 plan happening simultaneously as we finalized our current Comprehensive Plan on June 23, 2026. In the most recent plan, we have added significant language on climate change throughout the document, with a strong focus on future planning for climate resilience. Included in this Comp Plan is a requirement to again update the SMP, due in 2030. That work will likely begin again in 2028, if not late 2027. The climate values embedded in the most recent comp plan are NOT necessarily aligned with the most recent SMP adopted this week, as it was a product of the 2016 BOCC. The SMPs must align with the most current values as mandated by state law in Title 173 of the Washington State Administrative Code. The WAC addresses reasonable, empirical standards for protection of homes along our shoreline and the importance of shoreline protections.

Recent public input raised concern about the removal of language regarding trend analysis in our current SMP. This was done in only one section, remaining in other sections of Island County code. More importantly, the scientific engineering analysis required by WAC 173 remains and in fact, became more in alignment with the state code. It also offered more engineering options for homeowners. The other public input requested predictive analysis of climate impact, as noted in our 2025 Comprehensive Plan. That likely will be included in the next update in 2030 as reflected in the Board’s commitment to climate mitigation per a 2020 resolution.

Because of the pandemic, delays due to staffing issues at Department of Ecology, and because of the intense public participation on this SMP, this took longer than anticipated. I want to take a moment to express my appreciation to the public for their due diligence, deep analysis and recommendations, and voicing their concerns. I also want to thank our staff who worked through significant challenges to bring this body of work to completion. I encourage you to continue to advocate for the climate change values we embedded in our most recent comp plan when this comes back for updating. We must continue our advocacy and intent, as passed by the Board of County Commissioners, to pursue Climate in All Policies as we work to balance the complexities of island ecosystems with the challenges of a growing population.

Janet St. Clair, Island County Commissioner D3