By ARIEL FRISTOE
Because the creative director of Out of Hand Theater, an arts group that promotes anti-racism, social activism and well being fairness, I consider the latest appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK) as Secretary to the Division of Well being and Human Companies is past regarding. RFK isn’t a health care provider, neither is he a scientist, but he has been very vocal about his vaccine skepticism and has promoted misinformation about vaccine security. Now, together with the removing of scientific data and warnings from the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC) web site, RFK’s appointment may result in main will increase in preventable and severe sicknesses, outbreaks and deaths.
COVID-19 and its numerous mutations are nonetheless very a lot a part of our every day panorama. In keeping with the World Well being Group (WHO), greater than 7 million COVID-related deaths have been reported since 2020 worldwide, almost 2 million deaths had been recorded in 2020 alone. The primary vaccines had been developed and have become out there by November 2020 and reported deaths from the final 28 days is 3,872, which is a 98.7% lower from the onset of the pandemic. Vaccines work and save lives!
Illnesses like smallpox and the bubonic plague had been worn out as a result of scientists developed vaccines. At the moment, with the “anti-vax” rhetoric being embraced and misinformation being so commonplace, stories of measles went from 4 circumstances in 2023 to 285 in 2024. 9 of those circumstances required hospitalization. The affected people embody six kids below 4 years outdated, 16 people aged 5-17, and two adults over 18 – the numbers rise as the times go by with 124 circumstances in in Texas in 2025 alone. We can not and shouldn’t be going backwards the place medication is worried.
Well being specialists are involved that growing nonmedical vaccine exemptions amongst schoolchildren may result in extra frequent outbreaks. Declining vaccination charges are worrisome as measles could cause severe sickness, together with hospitalization and mind swelling. I’m not a health care provider nor a scientist, however I place my belief within the precise docs and scientists who’ve the larger good in thoughts when creating medicines to fight and forestall ailments. Why does this matter to me? By our Equitable Vaccines program, we use artwork, data and dialog to encourage vaccine confidence and educate the group about assets in order that we are able to create a more healthy group, and we’re proud to have helped ship 650 vaccines throughout Georgia. A wholesome group is a powerful group – and to me, that’s the most precious commodity over what’s imported and exported.
As a lady, as a mom, as a human, I fear about our well being and our kids’s future with RFK Jr main the Division of Well being and Human Companies. I implore that every one of us contact our native and state representatives to specific our considerations over RFK’s Division of Well being and Human Companies appointment. We can not go backwards when we’ve the assets out there to us to create a protected and wholesome place for each citizen to thrive. We should prioritize our communities’ well being and permit confirmed knowledge to information our most necessary selections that affect these which can be most treasured to us.
Ariel Fristoe is the Creative Director at Out of Hand Theater
