As World Immunization Week comes to a close, this is more than just a moment of awareness. It is a moment of truth.

Vaccines save lives.

That is not an opinion. That is a fact backed by decades of research, global data, and lived experiences. Despite this, we are seeing a dangerous shift in how vaccines are being talked about. While this talk is not new, what is new is that today these talks are led by public figures and political leaders. This shift is not just misleading; it is harmful.

There has been a growing trend of rhetoric suggesting that vaccines are unsafe, unnecessary, or even linked to disabilities. These claims have been repeatedly debunked through credible, evidence-based research. There is no scientific proof that vaccines cause disabilities. Yet the narrative continues and does real damage, particularly in minority communities.

As someone who is a part of the disability community and BIPOC, I want to be clear about what that rhetoric does. It turns disability into a fear tactic to the able-bodied community, suggesting that living with a disability is one of the worst things that could happen to you and that it should be avoided at all costs, even if that means dying from a preventable disease. This mindset does nothing but harm people. It’s isolating, stigmatizing, and devalues entire communities.

We have seen rhetoric being amplified in recent years by public figures like our current Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy. Jr., who has made multiple misleading and controversial statements about vaccines, disability, and BIPOC communities.

For instance, in a congressional hearing, Secretary Kennedy stated, “There is no clinical data supporting the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy people.” He has also publicly urged people to reject federal vaccine guidance, stating, “Resist the CDC’s vaccine schedule.”

We have also seen harmful messaging echoed at the local level, which has led to further amplification in broader political spaces. For instance, the group Moms for Liberty aggressively took over school board meetings around the country, often requiring police presence to maintain the safety of officials. This led President Trump and other elected officials to begin making and taking actions that contributed to the confusion and mistrust around vaccines

During a campaign speech, President Donald Trump stated:

“I will cut funding to schools that mandate vaccines.”

This is not about politics for the sake of politics. It’s about the impact it has on people.
When leaders spread or even entertain misinformation, it trickles down into the real decisions people make about their personal health. It influences whether parents vaccinate their children. It can shape policies in schools, the military, and workplaces. And it creates environments where preventable diseases can spread.

We saw this clearly during COVID-19. Vaccines became a point of division when they should have been a tool for protection. Communities that are already vulnerable, like disabled folks and BIPOC communities, were put at even greater risk. Some people had to isolate themselves completely, not by choice, but to survive because being around unvaccinated individuals could be life-threatening. Further, the refusal of many to become vaccinated put not only others but themselves at risk, with long-COVID leading to long-term or permanent disability that, while not life-ending or debilitating, wasn’t necessary.

Opponents of vaccines will say it is about “individual choice” or “freedom.”

Vaccines are not just about the individual. They are about public health. Vaccines themselves rely on a critical mass of people taking them to achieve full efficacy. There are people with compromised immune systems who rely on others to reduce the spread of diseases. When vaccination rates drop, those individuals are the first to feel the consequences. They are put at risk. They are pushed out of shared spaces. They are forced to choose between participation and safety.

Now, as conversations continue around making vaccines less required in spaces like schools and even the military, we must ask: Who is being protected? And why does your so-called freedom to choose whether or not you get polio or measles matter more than my freedom to be a part of society?

Because reality is simple. Without vaccines, diseases like measles, polio, and Hepatitis B can and do come back. This is where disability rights and public health intersect.

If policies or public narratives create conditions where disabled and immuno-compromised people cannot safely exist in public spaces, that is just not a health issue. This is an access issue. It is a civil rights issue.

Misinformation does not just live online. It shapes the world that people must navigate every day.

So, during World Immunization Week,
This is the message:

Vaccines save lives.

Misinformation harms minority communities.

And any narrative that paints disability as worse than death is dangerous and must be questioned, along with those who push it.

Protecting public health means protecting each other. And that includes making sure our words, our policies, and our leadership are rooted in truth, not fear. Because at the end of the day, access to accurate information and life-saving care should be a priority, not political.