Support Science! Vaccinations in 2022
“More children's lives have been saved by vaccines than all other medical advances in the past century .” Roberta C. Vicari, MD, LA-AAP
The Louisiana Legislature is considering more than 30 pieces of legisla � on related to vaccines. While some proposed measures are limited to governmental mandates and the recent pandemic, most of the bills being considered have an impact on ALL vaccines (not just COVID ‐ 19) and would cripple the long ‐ standing, e ff ec � ve vaccine policy in Louisiana. Here is what legislators need to know: They should oppose bills seeking to eliminate exis � ng (pre ‐ pandemic) vaccine requirements for diseases such as polio, measles and smallpox, which will undoubtedly contribute to possible resurgences of these all but ex � nct illnesses, some of which can be fatal or cause long ‐ term maladies in pa � ents. Confusion around the pandemic has already lowered the vaccina � on rates across our state for these long ‐ tested vaccines that have for decades been proven safe and e ff ec � ve in preven � ng the spread of communicable diseases. Passing these broadly worded bills could cause long ‐ term irreparable harm to our state. They should oppose the vaccine related bills allowing for new li � ga � on aimed at providers who are trying to keep their pa � ents safe. Doctors, hospitals and other providers should not face li � ga � on simply for providing safe spaces for their medically fragile pa � ents, such as having “well” and “sick” wai � ng areas that have long been a best prac � ce and serve to keep the spread of all infec � ons to a minimum.
The small, but noisy, group of an �‐ vaccine ac � vists pushing these short ‐ sighted measures bear absolutely no responsibility for pa � ent health in the state, and irresponsibly assume there will be no consequences to these proposals. That no � on is at wrong, and Louisiana health providers will be le � to clean up their mess should these bills pass. The majority of eligible Louisianans are vaccinated, not only for COVID, but also for all other vaccine ‐ preventable diseases. Please stand with them in opposing these short ‐ sighted bills.
A full list of ac � ve bills related to vaccina � ons is on the reverse side of this page. To read any bill led in the current legisla � ve session, snap the QR code to the le � .
American Academy of Pediatrics, LA Chapter ‐ Vaccine Survey, 2019
Working Together to Keep Physicians in Patient Care Louisiana State Medical Society Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians LA Chapter - American Academy of Pediatrics LA Chapter - American College of Emergency Physicians LA Chapter - American College of Physicians LA Chapter - American College of Surgeons Louisiana Dermatological Society LA Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Louisiana Medical Association Louisiana Orthopedic Association Louisiana Osteopathic Medical Association/VCOM Louisiana Pathology Society Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine Louisiana Society of Anesthesiologists Louisiana Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Medicine Louisiana Radiological Society of Louisiana
PhysicianLedMed | physiciancoali Ɵ on.org
22 J LA MED SOC | VOL 174 | SUMMER 2022
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