HJNO Mar/Apr 2025

32 MAR / APR 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Senator Cassidy issued a response the following day: CASSIDY ISSUES STATEMENT ON LOUISIANA SURGEON GENERAL’S DECISION TO ROLL BACK VACCINE EFFORTS, FEB. 14, 2025 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued a statement following an an- nouncement from the Louisiana Surgeon Gen- eral that the state would “no longer promote mass vaccination” efforts including “commu- nity health fairs, partnerships and media cam- paigns.” “LDH’s announced policy on immunizations ignores the reality of people’s lives. Working parents suddenly realize their child needs to be immunized and they can’t get in to see the doctor. It may be six weeks or longer for a routine visit. That is why as a doctor, I ran large- scale immunization programs to bring health care and immunizations to the patient,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Things like vaccine fairs keep a child from having to miss school and a mother from having to miss work. That is the reality of today’s medicine. To say that cannot occur and that someone must wait for the next available appointment ignores that reality. Advertising the benefit of vaccines and where to get them helps parents improve the health of their child. It’s important information they may not have known or needed to be reminded of. Removing these resources for parents is not a stand for parents’ rights. It prevents making health care more convenient and available for people who are very busy.” Source: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/ newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-issues- statement-on-louisiana-surgeon-generals- decision-to-roll-back-vaccine-efforts/ With LDH stepping back from vaccine promotion, the burden now falls to Louisiana’s healthcare providers to determine whether they will continue advocating for immunizations — or whether they, too, will disengage. In neighboring Texas, physicians are currently addressing a measles outbreak, a disease previously declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. As vaccination rates decline, the risk of resurgence grows — a warning Louisiana cannot afford to ignore. Seasoned public health officials will tell you: the time to encourage vaccination and prevent misinformation is well before an outbreak, not in the middle of one. These positions will hopefully evolve as new leadership learns the stark difference between being a lawyer trying to win a case, a politician trying to win votes, and a public health official tasked with safeguarding lives — one who will ultimately be held accountable for the consequences of their messaging. Meanwhile, Louisiana has reported the first known death from bird flu, even further underscoring the importance of maintaining a strong public health infrastructure, and Louisiana physician groups are expressing concern about the politization of public health, vaccines, and the danger this poses to their patients.