This archive report was first published on 19 July 2021.
On July 12, 2021, Tennessee made headlines when it fired Dr. Michelle Fiscus, the state's top vaccine authority, as medical director of the vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization program at the Department of Health.
Dr. Fiscus was terminated for providing evidence-based education and vaccine access to Tennesseans, which she believed was essential in protecting them against Covid-19. In a statement, she wrote, “I have been terminated for doing my job because some of our politicians have bought into the anti-vaccine misinformation campaign rather than taking the time to speak with the medical experts.”
The politicization of public discourse around immunization is a growing concern in Tennessee and beyond. The question isn't why Tennessee is so out of step with science, but rather why politics has anything to do with health policy at all.
As the planet becomes increasingly crowded, the health risks associated with climate change are escalating. However, conservative media outlets are sowing doubt and delusion in the Republican base, and feckless elected officials are following suit.
Dr. Fiscus's termination is a symptom of a larger issue, where campaign funding from national oligarchs sets legislative agendas across red states. This has led to a situation where politicians are more concerned with limiting tax-funded safety nets and killing public education than with protecting the lives of their constituents.
Dr. Fiscus wrote, “I am afraid for my state.” I share her concern, not just for Tennessee, but for the entire country. The spread of misinformation about vaccines, coupled with the lack of political will to combat it with science, is a recipe for disaster.
Despite the challenges, there is hope. Even in Tennessee, 43 percent of the population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, and 38 percent are fully vaccinated. However, the stubborn refusal to take a lifesaving vaccine is a tragedy, a sign that we have squandered our miracle.
