Op-Ed: SOS for Public Health in Vermont

June 27, 2025  |  By Dr. Harry Chen

We Vermonters pride ourselves on Vermont being one of the healthiest states in the country. In 2024, Vermont ranked second in the widely respected United Health Foundation’s rankings and in recent years, it has been among the top five.

Our rankings track remarkable progress since 1990, when Vermont ranked 20th in the United Health Foundation’s annual list. The rankings are based on broad measures of health, including social and economic factors, the physical environment, clinical health care, behavioral measures, and health outcomes. 

Much of Vermont’s progress is due to prioritizing public health. Put simply, public health is what we do as a society to ensure the conditions so people can be healthy. Vermont has made serious investments in public health over the years and has effectively leveraged federal dollars toward this end. Next year, 60 percent of the Vermont Department of Health’s $224 million budget will come from federal funding. This does not even count the estimated $13.8 million worth of vaccines purchased directly for Vermont’s Vaccines for Children Program.

Given the focus in Washington on reducing government spending, it’s not surprising that much of this support is at risk. Add to this the disparaging of hard science, and it’s clear that many strategies that have bolstered our success are in the crosshairs of this administration. We have witnessed the muzzling of essential federal agencies like the CDC and the diminishment of important health and science advisory functions. Much of the country’s food safety capacity has been eliminated. Coupled with spotty and inconsistent outbreak reporting and muted support for vaccines, this is a recipe for disaster.

Here are examples of other possible federal cuts that will impact state programs and the very real health risks they pose:

• Vaccines – Vermont’s high vaccination rate is due to the state’s work to ensure that vaccines are free and accessible to all children and most adults. All recommended vaccines are provided to primary care practices by the Health Department at no charge. Over half the costs are funded by CDC, and the rest is covered by Vermont insurers. Federal changes to vaccine policy and recommendations mean people could lose access to free vaccines, leaving the population less protected against life-threatening diseases like measles and whooping cough, even once-vanquished diseases like polio.

• WIC – The Health Department’s WIC Program helps income-eligible residents who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and families or caregivers of babies and children up to age 5 with nutritious foods and nutrition education. Over 6,000 children in Vermont receive WIC benefits each month. Federal cuts would compromise the health of many young families and threaten our country’s future.

• Lyme Disease, EEE, Rabies, Bird Flu – The Health Department works with the Agency of Agriculture to protect people from tick bite illnesses like Lyme disease, mosquito bite illnesses like Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and other diseases like rabies and bird flu. By tracking cases, epidemiologists detect changes in disease activity, identify people at higher risk, support healthcare providers in diagnosis and treatment, and inform the public on how to protect themselves. Federal cuts to public health and agriculture agencies threaten this vital work.

• Emergency Preparedness – Vermont has had its share of emergency events: Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and more recent floods, PFAS contamination of drinking water, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal funding helped us establish a strong infrastructure to deal with such emergencies. If we lose that federal support, how effective will our response be in the future?

• Opioid Use Disorder – Since Gov. Peter Shumlin highlighted the opioid crisis in his 2011 State of the Union address, Vermont has pulled out all the stops to address the issue. Vermont’s comprehensive approach includes upstream prevention, broad access to treatment and recovery, and community-based harm reduction. Most of that has been funded by federal programs like Medicaid. Vermont has seen reductions in overdoses and overdose deaths for two years running. Federal cuts put this progress at risk.

The Scott Administration and the Vermont Legislature have been strong proponents of public health, for which we are grateful. Given the whiplash of the current federal budget bill and DOGE, we can’t forecast with any certainty what is coming, though we can certainly predict there will be cuts. 

When the cuts do come, we need transparency from the Scott Administration on what is being cut and the likely impacts. We also need strong leadership at the top. We urge the governor to prioritize hiring a permanent Commissioner of Health for Vermont. 

With good information and using good science, we can analyze the effects and explore how best to mitigate them. Vermonters want to know this information and can weigh in on strategies to lessen their impact. 

Like many, we have serious concerns with the federal Make America Healthy agenda. We must stick to rigorous peer-reviewed science and not destroy our valued public health infrastructure. However, it’s important to find some common ground and acknowledge the shared goal of healthier Americans. Public health works 24/7, protecting and promoting the public’s health. Let’s continue to promote this valuable common good that benefits all Americans.

Harry Chen, M.D., is a former Vermont Commissioner of Health. He is writing on behalf of SOS for Public Health, a group of retired and former Vermont Health Department employees who are dedicated to speaking out strongly for public health in our state. They encourage Vermonters to contact members of Congress, state legislators, and Gov. Phil Scott to urge elected leaders to preserve and promote science-based, public health programs and practices.