Tennessee goes back to the Middle Ages as Republicans bully state into dropping vaccination support – By Mark Sumner (Daily Kos) / July 14 2021
On Tuesday, Dr. Michelle Fiscus warned that she had been fired after properly answering a question about whether teenagers are eligible for vaccinations without their parents’ consent (that answer is “yes”). The way in which Tennessee Republicans bullied Dr. Fiscus from her position for the act of telling kids the truth is emblematic of the way in which public health officials across the nation are being harassed by the lie-spreading anti-vaxx machine that is now the Republican Party and right-wing media.
But as it turns out, getting rid of the head of vaccinations for the state health department was only the tip of what could be the nation’s sickest iceberg. Because in the wake of Dr. Fiscus’ removal, Tennessee health officials have dropped all vaccine outreach, and ending vaccination events that were planned at public schools. That’s all vaccines. That doesn’t just mean that kids are getting an opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s measles. That’s diphtheria and tetanus. That’s polio.
According to the Tennessean, the state department of health is halting all vaccine outreach to children specifically because of “pressure from Republican state lawmakers.” Even if someone directly requests information on vaccines, staff have been instructed to strip the state logo from any replies so that nothing can be considered official. In addition to ending vaccination events, the state will stop sending out reminder cards for vaccinations, or providing teenagers with information on protecting themselves from COVID-19.
Thanks to conspiracy-mongering Republicans, Tennessee has become the first official anti-vaxx state.
