NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with Jennifer Herricks, the founding father of Louisiana Households for Vaccines, a bunch that organized a letter asking Sen. Invoice Cassidy to denounce RFK Jr.’s HHS nomination.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
OK, we need to flip now to focus a bit extra on that key vote from Republican Senator Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana. As we all know, Cassidy is a medical physician, and he raised deep considerations final week about Kennedy’s previous feedback on vaccines. Cassidy mentioned that he is anxious in regards to the function these feedback might play in dad and mom selecting whether or not to vaccinate their kids.
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BILL CASSIDY: I simply had a buddy textual content me – two kids died in an intensive care unit in a Baton Rouge hospital from vaccine-preventable illnesses this previous month. So my concern is that if there’s any false observe, any undermining of a mama’s belief in vaccines, one other individual will die from a vaccine-preventable illness. Now, you have received a megaphone.
CHANG: Properly, a bunch of 100 physicians wrote Senator Invoice Cassidy an open letter asking him to denounce Kennedy’s nomination, arguing that Kennedy’s place on vaccines makes him unfit to guide HHS. Jennifer Herricks is the founding father of Louisiana Households for Vaccines, the group that organized that letter. She joins us now. Welcome.
JENNIFER HERRICKS: Thanks for having me.
CHANG: Properly, thanks for being with us. So let me ask you – how are you feeling about Senator Cassidy’s committee vote immediately, given the considerations he had beforehand expressed as a doctor, not simply as a lawmaker?
HERRICKS: Yeah. Dissatisfied would not appear to actually be the correct phrase however feeling confused proper now however undoubtedly past disillusioned.
CHANG: Properly, actual fast, are you able to simply briefly inform us somewhat bit about your group’s work, Louisiana Households for Vaccines?
HERRICKS: Certain. I might like to. So Louisiana Households for Vaccines shaped in 2022. We noticed, you realize, there have been lots of payments arising on the state stage with reference to vaccine coverage that have been fairly regarding. And actually, after we have been watching, you realize, hearings taking place on the state stage, we did not see the voice of on a regular basis households actually represented. And we all know that almost all of households in Louisiana and in different states select to vaccinate. And so, you realize, we determined to prepare and to assist these households get their voices heard. In 2022, within the state of Louisiana, there have been 39 anti-vaccine payments that went to the state legislature. And, you realize, we had lots of success that yr. We have been in a position to cease 38 of these within the legislature, and one was vetoed by the governor.
CHANG: Let me ask you – simply to return to Senator Cassidy – as a result of he defined his committee vote on the ground of the Senate immediately, saying that, you realize, he plans to verify in with Kennedy a number of instances a month if he’s confirmed to be secretary of HHS, that he’ll maintain HHS accountable in his personal place as chair of the Senate Well being Committee. Do any of these private reassurances alleviate any of your considerations about Kennedy being on the helm of that division?
HERRICKS: No, they do not. Mr. Kennedy has a historical past of claiming one factor and turning round and doing one other. He additionally, you realize, denies issues that he has mentioned and carried out prior to now which have been dangerous and which have induced direct hurt to households right here in the US and in different nations. Samoa is a good instance.
CHANG: Properly, as a vaccine advocate resembling your self, how do you see your work altering or reshaping below the second Trump administration and below a secretary of HHS, Kennedy?
HERRICKS: Yeah. I feel, you realize, sadly, we could also be heading in the direction of a time the place we see a few of these illnesses that, you realize, folks of my era did not ever – by no means noticed, by no means needed to expertise. And I feel it may be extra necessary for households and for fogeys to actually begin to communicate up and to advocate for themselves and for his or her kids now so greater than ever.
CHANG: Jennifer Herricks is the founding father of Louisiana Households for Vaccines. Thanks very a lot for becoming a member of us.
HERRICKS: Thanks for having me.
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