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Greetings!
The latest news.
Last week, MPHA endorsed the PROTECT Act (HD.5608 An Act Promoting Rule of Law, Oversight, Trust, and Equal Constitutional Treatment) and the governor's immigration proposal, which is included in the supplemental budget for this fiscal year. By limiting ICE's reach into schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship, these bills are an important first step toward protecting due process and ensuring every resident is treated with dignity under the law. We are proud to stand with our partners at the Protect Massachusetts Community (PMC) Coalition in advancing these and other policies that uphold constitutional protections, defend immigrant rights, and strengthen the safety, stability, and well-being of our neighborhoods.
At the same time, we continue our federal lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. We were in court on February 13th requesting that the judge halt the implementation of the CDC’s January 5th childhood immunization schedule revision. We will return to court on March 4th to argue our original complaint against the removal of pregnant women and children from the COVID vaccine schedule as well as other elements of our case.
We will continue to provide updates in the coming weeks. The court process is a slow one, but we are persistent and know that this is critical work in providing a backstop to this administration’s undermining of decades of public health progress.
We are not alone in this fight. Across Massachusetts and the nation, people and organizations are rising up for truth, transparency, equity, and justice. Just this past Wednesday, 15 states and more than 200 public health and medical organizations filed an additional lawsuit addressing the same threats to evidence-based vaccine decision-making. This growing national response confirms what we know to be true: protecting trusted, science-driven vaccine policy is essential to safeguarding our health and the health of our children.
Why this matters.
Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of biomedical science and public health, preventing enormous suffering and premature death. Decades of strategic vaccination campaigns virtually eliminated diseases previously common in the United States, including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, and rubella.
Today, that progress is in jeopardy. It took the U.S. nearly 40 years to eliminate measles after the first vaccine was developed. Now, as misinformation drives down vaccination rates, we are at risk of losing our national elimination status. And, as proof that infectious disease does not stop at state borders, Massachusetts reported the first measles cases of the year last week. Meanwhile, influenza continues to take a devastating toll as seven children and 253 adults in Massachusetts alone have died this flu season. These are not just statistics; they are neighbors, friends, and family members whose deaths should have been prevented by the very systems now under attack.
At MPHA, we will not stand idly by as our system of prevention is dismantled.
How you can help.
We have two critical opportunities in the coming days to show the state and the federal government that we will not back down. Please look at the upcoming actions below and commit to joining us. Whether you attend an advocacy day, rally for science, or stay informed and engaged, your participation strengthens the movement for healthier communities across Massachusetts.
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