Louisiana’s high well being official stated in an inside memo to the state’s Well being Division on Thursday that it could not use media campaigns or well being gala’s to advertise vaccination towards preventable sicknesses.
The official, Dr. Ralph L. Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon common, 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 in response to the change in federal management.
“Vaccines must be handled with nuance, recognizing variations between seasonal vaccines and childhood immunizations, that are an vital a part of offering immunity to our kids,” wrote Dr. Abraham, a former Republican congressman.
A spokeswoman for the Louisiana Division of Well being didn’t instantly reply on Thursday night time to questions in regards to the scope of the directive and the way it may have an effect on the distribution of vaccines.
The Well being Division in New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest metropolis, rapidly stated that it could not observe the state’s lead.
“We are going to proceed to strongly promote childhood and seasonal vaccination, and develop our efforts regionally to fill any gaps left by the state’s new course,” Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the New Orleans Well being Division, stated in an e-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 stated that the state Well being Division would additionally cease selling vaccinations by means of “partnerships” and “parish well being items.”
He wrote that state well being officers shouldn’t instruct “people to obtain any and all vaccines” however as an alternative ought to present information in regards to the decreased well being dangers related to receiving vaccinations.
“For a lot of sicknesses, vaccines are one software within the toolbox of how to fight extreme sickness,” Dr. Abraham wrote, including that state well being officers ought to give attention to “assembly folks the place they’re.”
Throughout 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 assertion together with his deputy surgeon common, 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 common by the state’s governor, Jeff Landry, a Republican. Final 12 months, Mr. Landry changed John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor who led Louisiana by means of the pandemic. Mr. Edwards fought state lawmakers and Mr. Landry — then the state’s legal professional common — to implement vaccinate mandates.
Dr. Abraham didn’t point out Covid in his memo on vaccination, which was supplied by Dr. Pete Croughan, the division’s deputy secretary.
The Occasions-Picayune of New Orleans beforehand reported on the memo.
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Thursday night time.
Louisiana is experiencing a surge in flu this winter.
Emily Cochrane contributed reporting.
