Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham sent a memo to its subsidiary agencies on Feb. 13, declaring an end to the promotion of mass vaccinations, according to the Associated Press news. The department will still provide vaccines.
A second letter published on the Department of Health’s website stated that stopping the promotion of vaccines that don’t improve public health is critical to restoring trust in science. It only mentioned the COVID-19 vaccine.
Abraham asserts that vaccine companies know “that the products pushed will benefit some and cause harm to others, but public health pushes them anyway with a one-size-fits-all, collectivist mentality whose main objective is maximal compliance.”
Abraham refers to vaccine side effects. Most often, they temporarily cause muscle aches or weaken one’s immune system, in rare cases cause an allergic reaction, and even more rarely a severe disability or health crisis. Injecting a vaccine is like taking a martial arts class. The vaccine is the mentor that trains the body to defend itself, most often by raising body temperature or increasing blood flow.
Religious and health objections can exempt one from a shot because most people are eligible for vaccines, thus the public is safe through herd immunity.
It should be clarified that vaccines in Louisiana are still allowed. The primary change is an end to government sponsored advertisements on social media, commercials and government websites and a decrease in government-funded research.
Hospitals and other locations can still require vaccinated employees, save any religious or health objections, according to a 2022 Louisiana Supreme Court Ruling.
As a public institution, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette currently requires documented proof of vaccination or proof of immunity as per state law. It is unclear yet whether the University policy will require changes.
There are numerous types of vaccines, all of which have a long history of research. Some vaccines like MMR or Smallpox are “live-attenuated.” They are small, weakened versions of the virus, and only require a one-time shot. They offer the most risk of causing a weakened immune system, and you should be cautious of taking one if your immune system is already compromised.
Messenger RNA vaccines, like those used for COVID-19, use proteins mimicking the real virus. They take much less time to develop, but require multiple booster shots to develop full immunity. It’s similar to inactivated vaccines that inject a killed version of the virus (used for flu and polio).
Pew Research Center conducted research in 2022 and 2023 showing that 88% of U.S. adults support MMR vaccination for children, although a lower 62% support the COVID-19 vaccine.
Professor Beth Rauhaus, Head of the Political Science Department, commented that other groups may “follow suit and halt their commitment to community preparedness.” In the future, Rauhaus noted a potential “lack of awareness among the public regarding the spread of diseases or illnesses in particular parishes throughout the state, or… of how to obtain recommended vaccines.”
Psychology Professor Mark LaCour, who is currently doing research on vaccine hesitancy, provided a medical and societal standpoint. Getting seasonal vaccines can be “especially frustrating if you (or someone you know) receives a vaccine but still ends up with the flu (or COVID).” He notes that misleading information may appear alongside credible sources like the World health Organization.
LaCour states that vaccines are proven safe through extensive testing and they must “undergo continuous surveillance for safety even after FDA approval.” He said that this particular policy change could be a “drop in the bucket. In general, though, when more people skip vaccines, we get more hospitalizations.”
Although vaccination may now become a personal choice, LaCour urges people to watch for “misleading information… from people who are very confident and sincere in their concerns but are still completely wrong.” He implores getting information from verified specialists rather than media figures. Students across campus had varying degrees of support. Brenley Murry, a biology major, said the policy change is “incredibly harmful, considering vaccinations are an incredibly important blockage to prevent other students from contaminating each other… vaccinations may be less common.”
Jillian Crochet, a pre-veterinary major, commented, “I don’t think this really affects me, because I’m still educated about vaccines and everything. I’m still going to get vaccines.”
An anonymous student said it wasn’t the best idea because “you have to ease that into society,” rather than just a sudden change.
Computer science major Sydney Harrell, stated that “some people see it as freedom,” but is really a “gross oversimplification of the situation.” She said that “people don’t think about how it’ll affect them in the future,” when in reality they don’t know if they’ll need an organ transplant that’ll make them more susceptible to preventable diseases or contract a highly lethal virus like polio.
Notably, the Surgeon General’s statement was released hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notable vaccine skeptic, and former presidential candidate, was confirmed by the Senate to be President Trump’s Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. The policy change indicates how Louisiana intends to cooperate with the federal administration.
The vote was along party lines, with Mitch McConnell being the only Republican to vote against him. Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, initially wary of approving Kennedy, threw in his support once Kennedy agreed to allow the Senate to weigh in on the department appointments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health are all under the Department of Health.