The Louisiana Department of Health will no longer promote mass vaccinations, according to the state attorney general, who announced this decision Feb. 13.

According to a memorandum to LDH Team Members by Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, Louisiana and LDH traditionally have advocated for vaccines to prevent illnesses through multiple channels, including parish health units, community health fairs, partnerships and media campaigns. Abraham noted that while they encourage patients to discuss vaccination risks and benefits with their providers, LDH will discontinue promoting mass vaccinations.

This decision raises questions about its potential consequences for the community.

Deborah Gurgel Smith, Ph.D., LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions, warned that not promoting vaccines can lead to increased hospitalizations and deaths, especially during outbreaks of contagious diseases like measles, which has been reported in Texas and poses a risk to Louisiana.

“The importance of actually promoting mass vaccination — it can impact people’s lives in general,” Smith said. “If we decline the vaccine promotion that can reverse decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases such as measles and polio that were once eradicated in the United States. I think this is a public health priority − we keep preventing infectious diseases.”

Smith said the Louisiana Department of Health is tasked with promoting and campaigning for vaccinations, and she is unclear as to why this should be stopped, as the department is one of the community’s primary sources for health information, which helps individuals make informed decisions regarding their health.

“If we don’t promote with true facts, like scientific knowledge — our community will know how to make their own decisions based on what,” Smith said. “Those decisions that were once eradicated such as polio, measles — they really can come back which we are seeing measles coming back and that can have not only an impact on hospitalizations and deaths but also with we can see economic burden in our communities.”

Louisiana faces challenges in addressing health disparities among low-income communities and minority Black populations, in which a lack of vaccinations will increase these disparities. Smith pointed out if a parent has a child with measles in the hospital, it can lead to higher medical expenses and force the parent to take time off work, leading to lost income and an increased burden to the family.

“There’s so many things that we need to think about before coming with decisions like stopping mass vaccination campaign promoting vaccines for diseases that can be preventable,” Smith stated. “We’re going to see a rise in the healthcare system. Hospitalizations, as I said in the beginning, that’s going to cause people coming to emergency rooms and talking about people who in rural, urban areas whose access to medical care is limited.”

Smith pointed out that certain individuals may be unable to receive a vaccine due to health issues or allergies to specific vaccine components, and must depend on others for protection through herd immunity. Smith noted that herd immunity requires a specific percentage of the population to be vaccinated.

Smith recommends that individuals consult their healthcare providers and parents consult their children’s pediatrician regarding vaccines and side effects, and suggests referencing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website and the Health Department for additional vaccine information.

“If they [Health department] cannot talk about it, I recommend looking for healthcare providers because healthcare providers — they still promote vaccines and campaign making sure people make the right choice for their own health and their kids’ health. Kids, they cannot make their own health choices, so they depend on parents,” Smith stated. “We [LSUH] have amazing physicians who can provide great feedback about vaccines and how they work. The Louisiana Department of Health maybe now stopping the media campaigns and promoting vaccines. However, we have pharmacies — people there who can answer some questions but I always say, ‘Look for your healthcare provider like pediatricians, primary care physicians, family doctors.’ There are very well equipped to speak to your community to how to protect their loved ones.”

Smith pointed out that vaccines are still accessible, but the Louisiana Department of Health has just ended its promotion of individual vaccinations.

Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.