Moreno blasts reported ban on Louisiana public health workers from promoting vaccines

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – City Council president Helena Moreno on Saturday (Dec. 21) blasted a reported ban against Louisiana public health workers promoting vaccines and pledged support for the city health department’s efforts to combat misinformation and political interference in health science.

An investigation by New Orleans Public Radio station WWNO said high-ranking managers at the Louisiana Department of Health were ordered last month by two state officials to stop advertising or otherwise promoting recommendations that state residents get seasonal vaccines to combat flu, COVID-19 or mpox. The NPR report said it had confirmed the policy — which was not put in writing — was discussed during at least three meetings within the department’s Office of Public Health.

The report has not been independently confirmed by Fox 8.

Efforts to contact the Louisiana Department of Health for comment Saturday were unsuccessful. The agency’s press secretary left the job last month, according to an online posting, and no replacement is shown on the LDH website. Reference to vaccinations as a preventative measure for communicable diseases also appears to have been scrubbed from the department’s website.

The department’s Facebook page no longer can be accessed from its link on the department’s website. And a recent post on X.com about the dangers of flu season in Louisiana advises residents to wash hands, cover their coughs and consider better ventilation, but makes no mention of flu shots as a preventative measure.

The department’s new position appears to be a shift toward those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist who has been nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had RFK Jr. at his side in December 2021, when as Louisiana’s attorney general he spoke at a state committee hearing against adding COVID-19 shots to the state’s childhood immunization schedule.

The NPR report said Landry this year has signed five bills and backed two resolutions from the Republican-controlled legislature “limiting the power of public health authorities and sowing doubt about vaccine safety.” Several medical experts interviewed about the new LDH policy expressed deep reservations ranging from shock to sadness.

Moreno, so far the only announced candidate running to be the next mayor of New Orleans, weighed in on the issue Saturday with a prepared statement.

“I am incredibly troubled by an NPR report confirming that the State Health Department will no longer promote vaccine use,” Moreno wrote. “This could lead to significant statewide health implications. Therefore, in our city, we will work even harder through our New Orleans Health Department to ensure people have the right information and access to necessary vaccines.

“The New Orleans Health Department will continue to encourage vaccines because vaccines save lives, reduce illness and prevent outbreaks. Not only are vaccines safeguards for the health of vaccinated individuals, but they also contribute to herd immunity, which protects those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants and individuals with certain medical conditions.

“By preventing diseases like measles, polio and the flu, vaccines have significantly reduced deaths and mortality rates worldwide, illustrating their vital importance in promoting overall health and well-being. I wholeheartedly support our Health Department, led by Dr. Jennifer Avegno, in their efforts to ensure ongoing access to vaccines and accurate information.”

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