Louisiana The Supreme Medical Clerk in the Internal Note for the State Health Department said on Thursday that he would no longer use media campaigns or health fairs to promote vaccination against diseases that can be prevented.
Clerk, Dr. Ralph L. Abraham, Louisiana General Surgeon, wrote in the note that the state “encourages every patient to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with their provider”, but “no longer supported mass vaccination”.
The letter came the day When the US Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who as a new US Health Minister raised questions about vaccines. However, it was not clear whether the memorandum came in response to a change in federal leadership.
“Vaccines should be treated with nuances, recognize the differences between seasonal vaccines and children’s immunization, which are an important part of the provision of immunity for our children,” Dr. Abraham, former Republican Congressman.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Louisiana on Thursday evening did not immediately answer questions about the scope of the AO Directive as it could affect the distribution of vaccines.
The New Orleans Health Department, Louisiana’s largest city, quickly stated that this would not follow the state leadership.
“We will continue to promote childhood and seasonal vaccination and expand our efforts at the local level to fill all the gaps that have left a new direction to the state,” Dr. Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department.
The city’s health department is the only one in the state that operates independently of the Louisiana for Health.
Dr. Abraham said in his note that the state health department would also cease to promote vaccination through “partnership” and “parish medical units”.
He wrote that civil servants should not instruct “individuals to receive any and all vaccines”, but instead should provide data on reduced health risks associated with receiving vaccination.
“For many diseases, vaccines are one tool in a set of tools to fight serious illnesses,” Dr. Abraham and added that civil servants should focus on “encounters with people where they are”.
During the Covid pandemic, Louisiana had a lowest vaccination rate in the country and Healthcare workers fought there to fight misinformation on the security of immunization of coronavirus.
On Thursday also Dr. Abraham released a pointed public statistinsT with his deputy generalist Wych T. Coleman, who criticized how state and federal health authorities responded to pandemic.
Dr. Abraham and Dr. Coleman wrote that the implementation of vaccines mandates was “a crime against personal autonomy that will take years to overcome”.
In June, Dr. Abraham named Louisian’s surgeon by the Governor of the State of Jeff Landry, Republican. Last year Mr. Landry replaced John Bel Edwards, Democratic governor who led Louisiana pandemia. Mr. Edwards fought against state legislators and Mr. Landry – then the general prosecutor of the state – to implement vaccination mandates.
Dr. Abraham did not mention Covida in his note on the vaccination, provided by Pete Croughan, a representative of the Ministry of the Ministry.
Times-Picayune of New Orleans previously reported on the note.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services did not respond to the request for comment on Thursday evening.
Louisiana is experience Influenza increase this winter.
Emily Cochrane The report contributed.
