Preserving vaccine progress depends strong, fact-based public policy

National Immunization Awareness Month celebrates vaccines as one of the greatest achievements in public health. Vaccines have transformed diseases that once caused widespread illness, disability and death into preventable conditions. 

But vaccines alone don’t protect communities. Strong public health policies help ensure they remain accessible, affordable and available to every family.

As a mother of two school-aged children and co-director of Louisiana Families for Vaccines, I’ve seen firsthand that parents all want the same thing: healthy children. Most families want trustworthy information and policies that make it easier to protect the people they love, not political fights.  

That’s why state-level advocacy matters.

Many decisions that shape vaccine access are made right here in Louisiana. State lawmakers determine school immunization requirements, funding for public health programs, access through the Vaccines for Children Program and resources available to local healthcare providers. These policies affect every family, whether they realize it or not.

Pro-vaccine advocacy isn’t about taking away parents’ voices. It’s about ensuring that decisions affecting public health are informed by sound medical evidence and the expertise of physicians, nurses, scientists and public health professionals. 

It means supporting policies that protect children too young to be vaccinated, individuals receiving cancer treatment, transplant recipients and others whose health depends on high community vaccination rates.

Advocacy doesn’t require holding public office. It can be as simple as contacting your legislators, attending a committee hearing, sharing accurate information with your neighbors or lending your voice to organizations working to improve public health in Louisiana.

Every generation benefits from the decisions of those who came before them. Because previous generations supported immunization policies, most parents today have never witnessed hospital wards filled with children suffering from polio, measles or bacterial meningitis. Preserving that progress requires continued engagement.

This National Immunization Awareness Month, I encourage every Louisianian to learn about the vaccine policies being considered in our state, ask questions and make your voice heard. Healthy children, strong schools, and thriving communities don’t happen by accident — they are the result of thoughtful policies and citizens willing to advocate for them.