NEW ORLEANS — In a recent memo released by the Louisiana Department of Health, the state’s chief health official announced that there will be a halt to the promotion of mass vaccination efforts. This directive comes amid increasing cases of influenza in the state. Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham confirmed that his team would cease participation in media campaigns and community health events aimed at promoting vaccinations.
The timing of Abraham’s announcement coincided with the swearing-in of vaccine opponent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the health secretary under President Donald Trump’s administration. Highlighting his stance on vaccinations, Abraham expressed his discontent with “blanket government mandates” and the focused push for COVID-19 vaccinations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He emphasized that individuals should have the autonomy to make their own decisions regarding vaccinations.
“Government should recognize its limitations in people’s lives and reduce its involvement in medical practices,” asserted Abraham, who is a member of the Republican party. However, he mentioned that the department would continue to stock vaccines and make them available to the public.
Jennifer Herricks, who leads the advocacy group Louisiana Families for Vaccines, voiced her concerns regarding the potential consequences of this new directive, suggesting it might result in higher rates of preventable diseases and fatalities. She expressed worry for those in Louisiana who have relied on vaccination outreach programs for easily accessible vaccines.
In a contrasting opinion, the city council of liberal New Orleans passed a resolution to persist in supporting vaccination initiatives. Director of the city’s Health Department, Jennifer Avegno, noted that state-sponsored programs have historically facilitated vaccines for thousands. However, she predicted that vaccination rates for preventable diseases would decline as a result of the new state policy and the dissemination of misinformation highlighted by the surgeon general’s message. She emphasized that vaccines have the greatest efficacy when they are broadly administered.
“Public health consensus on this matter is clear: for over a century, vaccines of various types have been essential to enhancing public health across America,” Avegno stated during her address to the city council. “There is no scientific debate regarding this; it is nearly an established fact that vaccinations, particularly through mass administration and community immunity, save millions of lives.”
