A group of high-level managers at the Louisiana Department of Health walked into a Nov. 14 meeting in Baton Rouge expecting to talk about outreach and community events.

Instead, they were told by an assistant secretary in the department and another official that department leadership had a new policy: Advertising or otherwise promoting the COVID, influenza or mpox vaccines, an established practice there — and at most other public health entities in the U.S. — must stop.

NPR has confirmed the policy was discussed at this meeting, and at two other meetings held within the department’s Office of Public Health, on Oct. 3 and Nov. 21, through interviews with four employees at the Department of Health, which employs more than 6,500 people and is the state’s largest agency.

  • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    So promoting COVID, influenza and mpox is now the policy? “Department of Health” in the USA is starting to have the same ring as “Department of Peace” or “Department of Truth”.

  • Nougat@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    We’re going to start needing state border checkpoints so that deadly diseases from states run by fucking idiots don’t travel to states not run by fucking idiots.

    • yesman@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      states not run by fucking idiots

      Don’t worry, it’s hard to travel from LA to a place not run by idiots. I know you can’t get there by car. You’re going to need at least an airplane, maybe a starship.

      • Nougat@fedia.io
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        3 days ago

        I mean, there’s always going to be some regular idiots, but not all states are run by fucking idiots.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    According to the employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they fear losing their jobs or other forms of retaliation, the policy would be implemented quietly and would not be put in writing.

    Wow, that’s some next-level shithole antics.

  • OccamsTeapot@lemmy.world
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    Surgeon General Abraham also said “there’s nothing wrong” with Louisiana conducting its own research into whether childhood vaccines cause autism.

    Maybe check the shape of the earth again too. What do you mean, just check existing evidence?! We need to personally conduct research into everything, otherwise how can we be sure? I for one would love to know if the polio vaccine gives you superpowers. The people deserve to know.

  • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de
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    3 days ago

    Shouldn’t health insurance companies be up in arms over this? Vaccines are usually much cheaper than paying for treatment. Unless they are planning to say that lack of vaccination makes it the patient’s fault.

    • RampageDon@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Why make no money off someone getting a preventative shot when you can force them to get expensive treatments after they get sick and deny most of the claims.

      • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de
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        3 days ago

        The hospital makes money on treatments, the health insurance makes money on avoiding treatments.

        My (non-profit) statutory health insurance/Krankenkasse in Germany pays me to do yearly prophylactic checks every year for this reason.

  • Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io
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    3 days ago

    “Whatever you do, you sure don’t want to get this here set of vaccine shots, nope nope nope” while smiling and nodding head up and down.

  • Nog00d@lemmy.world
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    It sure seems like these “officials” are actively making decisions to get people killed by easily-preventable diseases.

    Trollies trollies everywhere

  • No_Eponym@lemmy.ca
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    It’s a much darker version of the Parks and Rec episode Sex Education. I hope this DoH has a Leslie Knope…