| The American Academy of Family Physicians urges you to take action to support access to and public trust in vaccines, one of the most effective public health interventions in history. In a deeply concerning move, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert panel responsible for making science-based vaccine recommendations for the nation. This unprecedented action threatens to undermine decades of progress in vaccine safety, efficacy, and public trust. At the same time, HHS has announced changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. These developments make it more urgent than ever to remind Congress that vaccines are safe, cost-effective, and essential to protecting public health. Routine childhood vaccinations between 1994 and 2023 have prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and over 1.1 million deaths. These efforts have saved the U.S. health care system an estimated $540 billion in direct medical costs and $2.7 trillion in broader societal costs. Vaccines save lives. That’s why the AAFP supports universal access to immunization regardless of socioeconomic or insurance status and opposes efforts by the administration to undermine access to and confidence in vaccines. Using Democracy.io gives you a quick, targeted way to speak directly to key federal officials with minimal effort. Urge them to publicly support vaccine safety and science-based recommendations, oppose efforts that politicize or dismantle trusted public health institutions, and champion initiatives to combat vaccine misinformation and disinformation. |
Dr. Leslie Greenberg's Blog 
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