Meg Cowan | Oppose SB572

I strongly oppose this non-germane amendment to SB 572. Tacking an anti-vaccine policy onto a bill about hospital real estate is a clear attempt to push an ideological agenda through the legislature without proper scrutiny. That alone should raise serious concern. The amendment would prohibit public agencies from using public funds to promote vaccines, undermining the ability of health officials to provide clear, evidence-based public health information. Vaccination has been one of the most successful public health tools in modern medicine, preventing countless cases of disease, disability, and death. Restricting accurate health communication does nothing to protect the public—it only fuels confusion and misinformation. This proposal reflects the influence of anti-vaccine activism rather than sound public health policy. New Hampshire should be supporting science-based health education, not silencing it. This amendment is unrelated to the underlying bill, poorly conceived, and harmful to public health. It should be rejected.