Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine this week called on parents across the country to speak up in favor of vaccines in school board meetings and other public settings, and said failing to do so will make it easier for "misinformation" about vaccines to spread.
"Misinformation is eroding public confidence in them," Levine said in a Friday blog post on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website. "If we want vaccines to continue to protect our children, we need to speak up and protect vaccines."
"As a pediatrician, I know firsthand how challenging this can feel," Levine said. "But we need to push past our discomfort because these conversations are essential to the health and safety of our children."
The blog post from Levine, the highest ranking openly transgender official in the Biden administration, was titled, "Our back-to-school checklist has to include vaccine conversations."
Levine said most Americans trust "routine vaccines," but said vaccination rates are falling. Levine blamed a "small minority voice" for "negatively influencing vaccine confidence through myths and fear."
Levine made no mention of the vaccine that millions of people resisted and was pushed by the federal government during the COVID pandemic. While the government still urges people to remain up-to-date on that vaccine, many critics have said the government oversold its ability to prevent the spread of COVID, and downplayed its side effects.
Levine said parents can help defend vaccines in school settings by "speaking up about the value of vaccines."
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"Many of us don’t want to create conflict," Levine said. "We stay silent because we fear a vaccine conversation might become argumentative. Unfortunately, silence creates a void that may be filled with unreliable information."
Levine called on parents to take three steps to help with this. First, parents should learn more about vaccines through "reputable" government and medical websites, Levine said.
Secondly, parents should be vocal.
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"This can be as easy as mentioning how much better you feel making sure your child is up to date on their vaccines before school starts," Levine suggested. "Don’t ignore misinformation. Kindly and respectfully share what you know and how vaccines benefit the health and safety of your family."
And thirdly, Levine said parents should debate the issue at school board meetings.
"In some communities, vaccines are being debated at school board meetings and other venues," Levine said. "Show up! You don’t need to speak if you are not comfortable, but your presence can send a powerful message."
