Louisiana Health Department Ordered to Halt Vaccine Promotion

State officials quietly imposed a policy barring public health employees from promoting COVID-19, flu, and mpox vaccines, citing a shift toward individual choice.

• Louisiana health officials were directed to stop promoting vaccines for COVID-19, flu, and mpox through public messaging or outreach activities.
• The policy, reportedly introduced in October and November, was communicated verbally to avoid a paper trail and enforced across all health department operations.
• Health department staff are prohibited from hosting vaccine events, issuing press releases, or even posting notices about vaccine availability at clinics.
• The policy coincides with rising vaccine misinformation and skepticism, alongside a severe flu season and the state's first reported human bird flu case.
• The decision reflects broader national shifts in vaccine messaging, with President-elect Trump appointing anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead federal health policy.

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