Blank Children’s Hospital, Iowa Chapter of the AAP Host Virtual Advocacy Event for Children’s Health
On Wednesday, February 24, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Iowa Chapter and UnityPoint Health – Blank Children’s Hospital co-hosted a virtual event for legislators focusing this year on vaccination education, and specifically debunking the myth of a link between Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and childhood immunizations. This legislative session has seen numerous bills which would threaten Iowa’s high childhood immunization rates by creating vaccine hesitancy within our communities. Legislation has included proposals such as allowing a philosophical exemption in Iowa law in addition to medical and religious exemptions, requiring medical examiners to list immunization status on the investigation forms for all child deaths under the age of three, and preventing employers and schools from mandating vaccinations (SF193, SF 125, HF 247, HF 330, just to name a few). Coupled with the many questions legislators have regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, this educational event offered the perfect opportunity for a panel of pediatricians from across Iowa, including Dr. Amy Groen and Dr. Nathan Boonstra of Blank Children’s Hospital, to underscore the importance of maintaining public confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations as a means to improve children’s health and public health in Iowa. The legislative advocacy event was recorded and will be available for viewing by clicking here.
For more information on children’s advocacy, legislative, policy and regulatory issues of impact to UnityPoint Health and Blank Children’s Hospital, please contact Chaney Yeast, director of government relations – family services for Blank Children’s Hospital.