Dukes County Government

10/18/2026

Island emergencies don't stop at town lines.

When storms flood roads, close routes, and disrupt travel, the effects are felt across the Island. The Island-wide Emergency Management Strategic Plan, developed with funding from Dukes County, gives all six towns a common roadmap for coordinating before, during, and after an emergency.

Learn more on our website: https://www.dukescounty.gov/news/post/2075/

10/18/2026

💉 FREE UP-ISLAND VACCINE CLINIC TODAY! 💙

Protect yourself, your family, and our island community this fall! 🍂

The Towns of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury, in partnership with the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod and local healthcare and public safety partners, are hosting a FREE COVID-19 & Flu Vaccine Clinic TODAY!

📅 TODAY | Sunday, October 18
⏰ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 West Tisbury Fire Station 2
454 State Road, West Tisbury, MA

💉 Vaccines Available:
✅ COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccines for adults and children ages 6 months and older
✅ High-dose flu vaccines available for adults ages 65+

ALL ARE WELCOME!
Whether you’re insured, underinsured, or uninsured, you’re welcome to attend.

📲 Registration is encouraged, but WALK-INS ARE WELCOME! Scan the QR code on the flyer to register.

🤝 We’re proud to work alongside our municipal, healthcare, and emergency response partners to make preventive healthcare accessible to our Up-Island community.

📞 Questions? Contact the West Tisbury Board of Health at (508) 696-0105 or Chilmark Board of Health at (508) 645-2105.

Help us spread the word! Share this post with your friends, family, and neighbors. Together, we can help keep Martha’s Vineyard healthy and protected! 💙💚

10/11/2026

The Island-wide Emergency Plan is on Select Board agendas this week!

Dukes County funded the development of the Island-wide Emergency Management Strategic Plan, a roadmap for how Island towns coordinate during emergencies. All Island Emergency Management Directors support its adoption.

The first step is for each town to adopt the Plan:
Tisbury: Tuesday, October 13th
West Tisbury: Wednesday, October 14th
Oak Bluffs: Tuesday, October 27th

Check your town's agenda for time and location, and plan to attend if you'd like to weigh in!

10/08/2026

Dr. Sam Telford of Tufts University is looking for Island volunteers for a research study on the public health burden of tick-borne infections on Martha's Vineyard.

Who can join: Vineyard residents or long-time visitors who spend more than 2 months here each year and are exposed to ticks.

What to expect: a 2-page survey about tick bites and a small blood sample. Results are shared with you when testing is complete. Participation is voluntary, you can stop at any time, and participants are not paid.

Where to find the researchers:
West Tisbury: Monday, October 12th, 12pm-8pm, Agricultural Hall
Edgartown: Tuesday, October 13th, 9am-4:30pm, Morning Glory Farm

A Portuguese interpreter will be on-site.

10/05/2026

The Island-wide Emergency Plan heads to Select Boards this month!

Dukes County funded the development of the Island-wide Emergency Management Strategic Plan, a roadmap for how Island towns coordinate when an emergency happens. All of the Island's Emergency Management Directors support its adoption.

The first step is for each town to adopt the Plan, and those discussions begin this week:

Aquinnah and Chilmark: Tuesday, October 6th
Tisbury and Oak Bluffs: Tuesday, October 13th
West Tisbury: Wednesday, October 14th
Edgartown: date to be announced

Check your town's Select Board agenda for meeting times and locations.

Learn more about the plan on our website: https://www.dukescounty.gov/news/post/2075/

08/13/2026

07/15/2026

⚠️ AIR QUALITY ALERT ⚠️
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is impacting air quality across Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued a Wildfire Smoke Alert as elevated fine-particle pollution continues to affect parts of the Commonwealth. While air quality on Martha’s Vineyard is currently in the Moderate (Yellow) category, conditions can change throughout the day, so it’s important to stay informed.

If you are in a sensitive group—including children, older adults, pregnant individuals, or those with asthma, heart disease, or other chronic medical conditions—consider limiting prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities if smoke becomes more noticeable.

Protect yourself by:
🍃 Monitoring local air quality before spending time outdoors.
🏠 Keeping windows and doors closed if smoke is present.
❄️ Running air conditioning on recirculate if available.
😷 Having a properly fitted N95 mask available for periods of heavier smoke.
💊 Keeping medications, such as rescue inhalers, readily accessible.
🚨 Seeking medical attention immediately if you experience chest pain, chest tightness, severe shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.

Stay informed by checking current air quality conditions at AirNow.gov before outdoor activities.

Dukes County Emergency Management Association will continue monitoring conditions and share updates if air quality worsens.

06/23/2026

Please learn about tick risk management and what to do if you were bitten by a tick. See flyer for details and resources

06/12/2026

Please take the Survey below to help the local Boards of Health assess the situation on Martha's Vineyard to be better informed about where they can make the biggest impact when distributing the Opioid Abatement Funds. Thank you.

06/12/2026

Be sure to ‘tick’ to the middle of the trail to avoid tick habitats. To learn more ways to protect yourself, visit
https://www.clintoncountyny.gov/sites/default/files/health/public-promotion/pdf/north-county-health-effect/ticks.pdf