Louisiana’s health department “will no longer promote mass vaccination”, including using media campaigns or health fairs to promote vaccines against preventable illnesses, according to an internal memo issued by the surgeon general in the state of 4.5 million people.
The memo from surgeon general, Dr Ralph Abraham, immediately ignited fears of lower vaccination rates leading to increased sickness, hospitalization and death – as well as a return of diseases such as measles and polio that had all been mostly eradicated by vaccines.
