Pediatric experts shared what clinicians are hearing from families, and encouraged parents to talk with their child’s pediatrician about vaccine questions
MINNETONKA, MN – With childhood vaccination rates below recommended levels in the state and across the country, U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison, MD, joined Children’s Minnesota to encourage families to make sure children are up to date on routine vaccines. Rep. Morrison, pediatric experts, and community partners held a press conference at Children’s Minnesota in Minnetonka to share trusted information, address common questions, and remind parents that their child’s pediatrician is the best source of trusted health advice.
Vaccination rates among Minnesota kindergartners remain alarmingly low and continue to decline, with DTaP and MMR rates at about 86% - the third lowest measles vaccination rate in the country and below the required 95% vaccination rate to reach herd immunity.
Minnesota also has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in the country at 6.9%.
Rep. Morrison, pediatric experts at Children’s Minnesota, and community partners came together to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination to protect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities.
Read Rep. Morrison’s full remarks below:
Good morning!
Thank you so much, Dr. Chapman, and many thanks to Children’s Minnesota for hosting us today.
Thanks to all of you joining to help us get this important message out to Minnesota parents and families, and particular gratitude to all of the incredible doctors here who have dedicated their lives to caring for and treating children - doing everything they can to ensure that every child in Minnesota can be healthy and thrive.
We just wrapped up a really fascinating discussion and I got to hear some of the remarkable work they’re doing – and I’m really excited for you to hear from some of them today.
My name is Kelly Morrison. I had the privilege of caring for Minnesotans as an OBGYN doctor for more than 20 years, I’m a mom of three, and I now have the tremendous honor of representing Minnesota’s Third District in Congress.
As an OBGYN, I took care of women and moms as they welcomed their new babies into the world.
Truly one of the most amazing jobs in the world.
And from all my years spending time with patients and new parents, one thing I know to be true is that people are really trying to do the right thing.
They want to make the best possible decision for their kids and their health.
And that’s why what the current leadership in Washington is doing to access to healthcare and good medical information is so upsetting and so dangerous.
In addition to enacting dramatic cuts to healthcare, they are also cutting access to evidence-based recommendations and instead are pushing anti-vaccine conspiracies and misinformation.
It is taking advantage of parents’ fears, parents’ concerns, parents’ desires to just do what’s right for their kids.
And I want to be very clear: they are doing this because it serves their political goals, and it puts money in their pockets.
They are intentionally dividing Americans in a way that is profitable for them.
It is a distraction, it is irresponsible, it is predatory, and we are not going to let them get away with it.
The current administration is completely upending our longstanding, evidence-based, rigorously studied vaccine policies and sowing doubt, confusion, and misinformation.
But I’m doing what I can to stand up for parents and children and families and fight back.
I recently joined nearly 100 of my colleagues in pressuring the Administration to rescind their dangerous new childhood vaccine executive order.
And last year, in the wake of RFK Jr.’s appointment to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, I joined the other five Democratic doctors in the House to form the first-ever Democratic Doctors Caucus to fight the dangerous misinformation, hold this administration accountable, and stand up for science and evidence-based policy and the health of all Americans.
And we are not going to let misinformation win.
We are going to come together and push past the noise, the predatory conspiracy theories, and the confusing misinformation.
And you know what the good news is?
Minnesota is really good at coming together.
Minnesotans care about each other. We care about our communities. We care about our children.
I want to speak directly to Minnesota parents: I know there is so much noise, and confusing and conflicting information out there. But please, I urge you to talk to your pediatrician.
They want to help. They want to make sure your kids grow up to be thriving adults. And they have the knowledge and the experience to help you keep your kids healthy and safe on that journey.
And I want to be very clear: No one is saying don’t question what you’re being told.
Just make sure the voices you’re hearing from include your trusted pediatrician.
There is so much uncertainty in this world, and there is so much that is out of our control.
But vaccines are one tangible thing we can do to protect our kids.
One certain, known thing we can do to keep our kids safe.
So please, Minnesota. Let’s show up for our community. Let’s show up for our families. Let’s show up for our kids, and keep each other safe, strong, and protected.
And with that, I’ll turn it over to the remarkable Dr. Gigi Chawla, the chief of general pediatrics at Children's Minnesota.
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