A department spokesperson confirmed Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham had ordered his staff to stop engaging in media campaigns and community health fairs to encourage vaccinations.
In a separate letter posted on the department's website, Louisiana's surgeon general decried “blanket government mandates” for vaccines and criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 vaccination push. Individuals should make their own decisions about vaccinations, Abraham said.
“Government should admit the limitations of its role in people’s lives and pull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine,” said Abraham, a Republican.
The department will still “stock and provide vaccines," according to Abraham's memo.
In liberal New Orleans, the city council passed a resolution Thursday vowing to continue supporting vaccination efforts.
