I entered medical school in 1996. I have never seen a case of Diphtheria, Mumps, Tetanus, or many other vaccine-preventable diseases. These and many other illnesses are essentially non-existent because of immunizations.
That protection is now under attack from an anti-science ideology driven by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. that would rip away vaccine access from all Americans.
This is not an exaggeration. Yesterday, Florida indicated that they will no longer require vaccines for children to enter public schools, despite the fact that many depend upon widespread vaccine uptake to protect themselves and their community. Today, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. raged against vaccines before the US Senate.
As Pennsylvania's only physician-legislator, I am taking action to protect vaccine access and personal health. I have introduced legislation to make sure that insurance companies continue to cover vaccines and will shortly introduce legislation to protect vaccine access through pharmacies, building on the actions by Governor Shapiro.
But I cannot do this alone. The attacks on vaccine access and personal health are unfortunately now a constant in our lives. Our state governments and particularly legislators like me who are grounded in both science and public policy are the last line of defense. We cannot deprive your family and mine from the benefit of vaccines.
