Earlier this year, most of us watched in near helpless horror the confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. A man who has repeatedly denied scientifically proven benefits and/or risks for vaccines that have been in existence and recommended for decades. Given the craziness which continues in both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Dept. of Health and Human Services, this article will focus on a newly formed health collaborative that New Hampshire has, regrettably, neglected to join.
With both departments in almost continuous upheaval due to mass employee terminations (or the threat of) and the overabundance of dis and misinformation, officials from the following states announced the formation of a new collaboration. Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont have created the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The main objective is to coordinate public health efforts and give vaccine advice, separate from the federal government. With public health and safety foremost in mind, they will work together, sharing data, emergency preparedness and vaccine recommendations.
Why, look who’s missing . . .
Here in NH, we’ve seen the concerted effort by the majority party to negate the need or even acknowledge the reason for vaccines. The fight in this country against diseases has a long history. To that end, the New Hampshire Vaccine Association (NHVA) was formed in 2002, a not-for-profit voluntary corporation that works to improve childhood vaccine accessibility. This has helped to keep the cost of health care low. So, let’s re-cap . . .
In March, the Republican majority voted to repeal the NHVA. However, it went back to the Ways and Means Committee who will begin their work session next month. In early May, the majority party again showed their disdain for protecting children through vaccination by adding an amendment to a horse racing bill phasing out the required childhood vaccinations for chicken pox, Hepatitis B and influenza type B.
The east coast is not the only area of the country to realize the danger from those tasked with keeping the nation’s citizens healthy, safe and informed. The West Coast Health Alliance, comprised of California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, came together in early Sept., to form their own collaborative.
All is not lost for NH though. The Public Health Commissioner from Massachusetts, Dr. Robert Goldstein, has stated his department is in communication with NH health officials and other “red” states, in hopes of bringing them on board.
We’ll see . . .let’s hope it doesn’t take too long!
This is from Arthur Caplan, the founding head of the division of medical ethics at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine, “The announcement on autism was the saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies and dangerous advice I have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science.”
Here’s a thought, autism has been around long before most vaccines or Tylenol were invented.