Tennessee To End Teen Outreach For All Vaccines

The Tennessean reports:

The Tennessee Department of Health will halt all adolescent vaccine outreach – not just for coronavirus, but all diseases – amid pressure from Republican state lawmakers, according to an internal report and agency emails obtained by the Tennessean. If the health department must issue any information about vaccines, staff are instructed to strip the agency logo off the documents.

The health department will also stop all COVID-19 vaccine events on school property, despite holding at least one such event this month. The decisions to end vaccine outreach and school events come directly from Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey, the internal report states. Additionally, the health department will take steps to ensure it no longer sends postcards or other notices reminding teenagers to get their second dose of the coronavirus vaccines.

CNN reports:

Dr. Michelle Fiscus, who says she was fired as the state’s medical director of the vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization after an argument over vaccinating children against coronavirus, told CNN she and other health officials have been under pressure as Covid-19 vaccinations have become increasingly politicized.

And the politics around vaccines that began with Covid-19 has spread into a more widespread mistrust of all vaccines, she said. These viruses and bacteria that can wreak havoc with these diseases are nonpartisan, they don’t care who you are or who you voted for,” she said. “And the way to prevent disease is with immunization.”

PHOTO: Republican Gov. Bill Lee.

I am old enough to remember when childhood diseases – now controlled by vaccines – terrorized families, wreaking pain and heartbreak. This is lunacy. https://t.co/t84c8DKIUG

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) July 13, 2021