Using our tax dollars to platform and legitimize dangerous anti-vaccine misinformation is unacceptable.

If you agree, please use the form below to add your name to this letter that we will deliver to our state elected officials.

Your voice is more important now than ever.

To the Honorable Members of the Louisiana State Legislature,

We are writing to express our disappointment at the recent meeting of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security that took place from September 25-26, 2024. This was an opportunity to thoughtfully assess the state's response during one of the most difficult times for Louisiana families in recent memory. This could have led to real and actionable recommendations for how we handle another public health emergency to ensure we prioritize health as well as protecting our economic well-being.

Instead, this committee used this hearing and our tax dollars to listen to invited comments from known anti-vaccine activists so they could use this hearing to platform and legitimize dangerous misinformation about vaccines. This is not in the best interests of your constituents, the people and families of Louisiana. False information about vaccines erodes public trust, leading to the low immunization rates that put us at risk for serious outbreaks of disease. It also diverts time and resources from the evidence-based health strategies we count on to keep Louisianans healthy. 

We were extremely concerned to hear our elected officials and even the leadership of the Louisiana Department of Health voice false health information. The stated mission of LDH is to protect and promote the health of the citizens of Louisiana. Fear mongering and promoting falsehoods about vaccines will have the opposite effect in a state that already has some of the worst health outcomes in the country.

We should rigorously review—and can even disagree about—decisions made during the pandemic. But surely we can put the health and wellbeing of Louisianans above politics. 

Sincerely,

Louisiana Families for Vaccines and the advocates signed below.