Now is Not the Time to Retreat from Vaccines

As a physician who has cared for thousands of patients across New Hampshire for more than three decades, and now serves as a chief medical officer, I write today because protecting our community has never mattered more. Recent federal vaccine decisions threaten to reverse decades of progress in disease prevention and place unnecessary risk on the people of our state.

Last week, a federal vaccine advisory panel voted to remove the long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth. If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopts this position, it would be one of the most significant changes to the childhood immunization schedule in a generation. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians continue to endorse newborn Hepatitis B vaccination, and the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services has reaffirmed this guidance by recommending the first dose within 24 hours of birth. I strongly applaud the state for taking this position, which prioritizes the health and safety of our youngest patients.

At the same time, an executive order has directed a full reevaluation of childhood vaccine recommendations and a potential shift toward international practices that may not reflect our community’s needs.

As a practicing physician, I have seen firsthand what vaccines can do. I have cared for adults who were debilitated by infections that could have been avoided. My work teaching medical students at the Geisel School of Medicine and the University of New England reinforces a simple truth — vaccines remain one of the safest and most effective tools in modern medicine.

This is why I strongly support the work of our team of clinicians, who continue to separate fact from fiction for our patients. Their daily efforts to address common misconceptions about vaccination show why routine childhood immunizations remain essential and provide balanced guidance on how families can maintain strong immune health.

With hundreds of our providers caring for tens of thousands of people each year, we encourage every patient to talk with their doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician associate about what is best for them. As a nonprofit health system, our mission is to protect the well-being of this community above all else, and that mission guides every conversation we have.

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