Defend Public Health joins coalition in condemning vaccine executive order

On August 10^th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on vaccines based on his “feelings” on the subject. Contrary to the president, members of Defend Public Health recognize it as yet another attack on public health and have signed a coalition statement led by the American Academy of Pediatrics to express their strong opposition.

“This executive order is not based on scientific evidence let alone a ‘gold standard’,” said Alicia Yamin, JD, MPH, Ph.D., a public health attorney and member of the advocacy group Defend Public Health. “At a time when the U.S. has the most measles cases in over three decades, it muddies the waters and confuses parents about the safety and benefit of vaccination. Public health professionals and advocates know that Trump’s order has no scientific basis”. 

The benefits and safety of vaccines, including the MMR vaccine Trump wants to split into multiple shots, are not in question. Over the past 30 years, 508 million cases of diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and pertussis have been estimated to have been prevented by vaccination, along with 32 million hospitalizations and more than one million deaths. The U.S. vaccination program has also saved $2.7 trillion in costs to the country.

“We are in the midst of the worst outbreak of measles in decades. This disgraceful executive order calling for the separation of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots, irresponsibly casts more doubt on the MMR vaccine that has been used safely and effectively for the past 50 years. It will mean more visits to the doctor for families to manage and more cost as US manufacturers must develop individual vaccines and get them FDA approved. This order will  endanger the lives of children and others who are susceptible to infectious disease,” said James Alwine, Ph.D., a virologist and Defend Public Health Coordinating Committee member. 

Vaccine recommendations are set by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) which is currently paralyzed and unable to function, and the CDC director. Individual states set the vaccine requirements for school entry. An executive order does not supersede these processes. “The newly confirmed CDC director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, faces her first leadership test -- does she stand by the science or will she become another mouthpiece in the Trump/RFK Jr. echo chamber?” stated Julie Scofield, DPH Coordinating Committee member and former Executive Director of NASTAD.

Defend Public Health stands with the American Academy of Pediatrics and others in this coalition to oppose the executive order. As Defend Public Health members Elizabeth Jacobs and James Alwine stated in a recent op-ed column, “Future historians and scientists will study what happened here and why, and the shame and disgrace of this era will be taught as a cautionary tale for generations to come”.

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Defend Public Health is a volunteer-driven network of public health researchers, healthcare workers, advocates and allies fighting to protect the health of all from the Trump administration's cruel attacks on proven, science-based public health policies. We believe that everyone has the right to what they need for a healthy life, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
 DefendPublicHealth.org