WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued a statement following an announcement from the Louisiana Surgeon General that the state would “no longer promote mass vaccination” efforts including “community health fairs, partnerships and media campaigns.”
“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.”
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