The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Alma Hernandez
I dedicated years of my education to public health. I am a proud alumnus of MEZCOPH at the University of Arizona, where I also received my Master's in Public Health. I also received additional training at Johns Hopkins in epidemiology and biostatistics. I traveled to developing countries on public health and medical missions as a volunteer, witnessing firsthand what happens when preventable diseases are spread.
I later ran for office as a volunteer, not for power or profit but to help my community. For seven years, I have had the honor of serving on the Health and Human Services committee, bringing years of education, field experience, and evidence-based knowledge to help shape a healthier Arizona and being a strong voice to fight dangerous health policies.
And now, a man with no expertise in vaccines, no legitimate evidence-based research, and no grounding in public health is making decisions that will severely harm, if not kill, children . Meningitis. Hepatitis. Influenza. RSV. These are just some of the vaccines no longer universally recommended.
Let me be very clear: this is not a debate with parents about personal choices. That is your right. But we all know why these vaccines have been recommended for decades. They are brutal, fast-moving diseases that kill children. And they are preventable.
Vaccines exist for a damn reason, and I will proudly continue to push back and fight for science.
Many of the loudest critics of vaccines received every one of these shots themselves. And guess what? They get to walk around, live full lives, and spread dangerous misinformation precisely because they were protected from suffering, disability, or death caused by these diseases.
It is absolutely infuriating that someone who knows nothing about immunology, epidemiology, or child health is now putting children directly in harm’s way to advance sick, anti-vaccine rhetoric.
We live in the greatest nation in the world. Our children should not die from diseases we already know how to prevent because of ignorance, ego, and reckless decision-making by people who have no business making public health policy. This is not freedom. This is negligence. Our children will pay the price.
Despite my anger and disappointment, I remain hopeful that in our great state, doctors will continue to do what they have always done: follow the science, tell the truth and advocate for protecting children. That is their job, and it is a job they take seriously.
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