Louisiana’s prime well being official mentioned in an inside memo to the state’s Well being Division on Thursday that it could not use media campaigns or well being festivals to advertise vaccination towards preventable sicknesses.
The official, Dr. Ralph L. Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon basic, wrote within the memo that the state would “encourage every affected person to debate the dangers and advantages of vaccination with their supplier” however would “not promote mass vaccination.”
The letter got here on a day when the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has raised questions on vaccines, as the brand new U.S. well being secretary. But it surely was not clear if the memo had are available response to the change in federal management.
“Vaccines must be handled with nuance, recognizing variations between seasonal vaccines and childhood immunizations, that are an essential a part of offering immunity to our youngsters,” wrote Dr. Abraham, a former Republican congressman.
A spokeswoman for the Louisiana Division of Well being didn’t instantly reply on Thursday evening to questions in regards to the scope of the directive and the way it would possibly have an effect on the distribution of vaccines.
The Well being Division in New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest metropolis, shortly mentioned that it could not comply with the state’s lead.
“We’ll proceed to strongly promote childhood and seasonal vaccination, and develop our efforts domestically to fill any gaps left by the state’s new course,” Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the New Orleans Well being Division, mentioned in an electronic mail.
Town’s Well being Division is the one one within the state that operates independently from the Louisiana Division of Well being.
In his memo, Dr. Abraham mentioned that the state Well being Division would additionally cease selling vaccinations by way of “partnerships” and “parish well being models.”
He wrote that state well being officers mustn’t instruct “people to obtain any and all vaccines” however as an alternative ought to present knowledge in regards to the decreased well being dangers related to receiving vaccinations.
“For a lot of sicknesses, vaccines are one instrument within the toolbox of how to fight extreme sickness,” Dr. Abraham wrote, including that state well being officers ought to concentrate on “assembly individuals the place they’re.”
In the course of the Covid pandemic, Louisiana had among the many nation’s lowest vaccination charges, and well being care staff there struggled to fight misinformation in regards to the security of coronavirus immunizations.
On Thursday, Dr. Abraham additionally issued a pointed public statement along with his deputy surgeon basic, Wyche T. Coleman, criticizing how state and federal well being authorities had responded to the pandemic.
Dr. Abraham and Dr. Coleman wrote that the implementation of vaccine mandates had been “an offense towards private autonomy that may take years to beat.”
In June, Dr. Abraham was appointed as Louisiana’s surgeon basic by the state’s governor, Jeff Landry, a Republican. Final yr, Mr. Landry changed John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor who led Louisiana by way of the pandemic. Mr. Edwards fought state lawmakers and Mr. Landry — then the state’s lawyer basic — to implement vaccinate mandates.
Dr. Abraham didn’t point out Covid in his memo on vaccination, which was offered by Dr. Pete Croughan, the division’s deputy secretary.
The Instances-Picayune of New Orleans beforehand reported on the memo.
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Thursday evening.
Louisiana is experiencing a surge in flu this winter.
Emily Cochrane contributed reporting.
