Snohomish County Health Department releases 5-year plan

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Health Department released a new 5-year strategic plan on Monday, setting goals to increase vaccination rates and monitor potential pollutants in local water.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a comprehensive strategic plan with measurable goals attached to it that will provide accountability and allow us to show the impact of our work,” Snohomish County Health Officer James Lewis wrote in a press release. “The community will be able to see if we’re meeting our goals and, if not, why.”

The primary goals outlined in the plan relate to reducing infectious disease and protecting water quality. One goal listed in the plan is that by 2029, 90% of children entering kindergarten will receive all of their recommended vaccines, and that 65% of adults over the age of 65 will receive an annual flu vaccine. Currently, 89% of children entering kindergarten receive their recommended vaccines and 56% of adults over 65 receive annual flu shots, according to a health department release.

The importance of youth vaccination remains high as a measles outbreak continues to spread across the United States, mostly in unvaccinated people. Across the country, there have been almost 2,000 measles cases and three confirmed deaths from the contagious disease in 2025, according to Centers for Disease Control data. More than 90% of those cases were among people who were unvaccinated.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-health-department-releases-5-year-plan/