Dear Senator,
The following is the text of letters I sent to two of my state’s senators.
November 16, 2024
Dear Senator,
I write to you today as a constituent and as someone whose life has been directly impacted by the success of America’s vaccination programs. As you consider upcoming nominations for Secretary of Health and Human Services, I urge you to carefully evaluate candidates’ positions on vaccine policy, as this issue is quite literally a matter of life and death for our citizens.
I received both the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines as a child. These innovative medical breakthroughs came none too soon. In the early 1950s, before these vaccines, polio paralyzed or killed over 35,000 people in the United States each year. Parents kept their children from pools and playgrounds during summer months, fearing polio outbreaks. Iron lungs filled hospital wards. The disease struck without discrimination, affecting rich and poor alike.
This isn’t abstract history for me. I personally knew individuals who suffered permanent paralysis because they contracted polio before vaccines became available. Their lives were forever altered — simple tasks like walking up stairs or getting dressed became daily struggles. These are now preventable tragedies.
Thanks to widespread vaccination, the United States has been polio-free since 1979. This remarkable achievement came through bipartisan support for public health measures and a recognition that vaccines save lives. Today’s children don’t know the terror of polio seasons or the sight of classmates in leg braces, and for this we should be profoundly grateful.
Given this history, I am deeply concerned about any potential HHS Secretary who promotes anti-vaccine positions. Such views fly in the face of established medical science and the demonstrated success of vaccination programs. The position demands someone who will protect and advance public health based on evidence, not ideology.
As my senator, I urge you to oppose any nominee who questions the safety and efficacy of vaccines. The health of our nation — and particularly our children — depends on maintaining strong vaccination programs and public confidence in immunization.
Respectfully,
