The Louisiana Department of Health has ordered its employees to stop promoting mass vaccinations, criticizing the CDC as "woefully out of touch" with public health concerns.
Louisiana has historically promoted vaccinations for preventable diseases through public health initiatives, community events and partnerships.
However, under the leadership of Gov. Jeff Landry and Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state has shifted its stance on vaccines, CNN reported.
Abraham, a former Republican congressman, has expressed skepticism about mass vaccination efforts and framed vaccine mandates as an infringement on personal autonomy.
On Thursday, Abraham issued a memo directing Louisiana health workers to cease mass vaccination promotion, emphasizing that vaccines should be treated with "nuance" rather than broad public campaigns.
The policy, which was not initially communicated to the public, aligns with a growing conservative push against vaccine mandates and mass immunization programs.
"Government should admit the limitations of its role in people's lives and pull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine. The path to regaining public trust lies in acknowledging past missteps, refocusing on unbiased data collection, and providing transparent, balanced information for people to make their own health decisions.
By demonstrating genuine integrity and respect for personal autonomy, public health agencies can begin to mend the rifts they've created," Abraham and Deputy Surgeon General Dr. Wyche Coleman wrote in a published letter.
Abraham and Coleman added that vaccination recommendations, particularly for the COVID-19 vaccine, by the CDC have become "woefully out of touch with reality and with most parents."
Louisiana, which already struggles with low vaccination rates, is experiencing a significant flu outbreak, and health experts warn that the new directive could further reduce immunization rates and increase the spread of preventable diseases.
In response, New Orleans' independent health department has rejected the state's stance, vowing to continue mass vaccination efforts.
Public health experts, including Dr. Jennifer Avegno of the New Orleans Health Department and Dr. Paul Offit of the Vaccine Education Center, warn that reduced vaccine promotion will likely lead to declining immunization rates and worsening disease outbreaks.
Originally published on Latin Times
