Forsyth County pauses refugee health program

The Forsyth County Department of Health and Human Services has been advised by the state to pause its refugee program. 

Joshua Swift is the director of public health for the county. He says in recent years, his department received nearly 300 refugees annually. The county would help get them up to date on their vaccines in order to find work and go to school. 

This year though, Swift and his department got a message from the North Carolina Division of Public Health.

"We were told that based on some policy changes at the federal government that for now that’s been put on pause," Swift said. "So we are just really sort of evaluating the situation and waiting for further guidance from the state."

There’s no word on whether refugees could receive health services in the future. 

Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X and Instagram: @santi8a98