Consumer confidence isn’t just slipping — it’s plummeting. But the economic downturn isn’t the only crisis we’re facing. Confidence in vaccines has hit an all-time low, with more parents rejecting the CDC-approved immunization schedule and leaving their children vulnerable.

The consequences are devastating in Maine and throughout the country. Influenza is surging in Maine, with 42 flu-related deaths and 109 flu outbreaks during the 2024-2025 flu season reported as of Feb. 26. Measles is spreading like wildfire, with over 200 cases in 12 jurisdictions and two reported deaths.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine cynic, currently leads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — the agency responsible for setting vaccine policies that protect public health. Kennedy lacks education, background or experience in health care and his refusal to accept settled science on vaccines threatens decades of progress and endangers children’s lives.

When pressed during his first Cabinet meeting about the Texas measles outbreak and the nation’s first measles-related death since 2005, Kennedy shrugged it off, dismissing the crisis by claiming, “Measles outbreaks are not unusual.”

Given the public and professional outrage, Kennedy now says the measles epidemic is his top priority, calling for action in an op-ed published on Fox News. He claims vaccines are safe but carefully chooses statistics to minimize just how serious measles is to children. He failed to mention that complications occur in 30% of reported cases, instead referring to them as “rare.”

He recommends using vitamin A and cod liver oil to prevent measles mortality, however, he does not stress that this treatment should not be used as a replacement for vaccination and that it can be toxic with overuse. Kennedy also claimed that under his leadership, HHS would always remain committed to radical transparency to regain the public’s trust in its health agencies. Yet, he recently issued a statement disallowing public participation from the majority of business that HHS conducts.

As frontline nurses who grew up in the 1960s, long before modern vaccines eliminated childhood diseases like measles, mumps and rubella, we remember the misery firsthand. Today nurses are caring for too many sick children in the pediatric intensive care unit afflicted with influenza and measles.

Additionally, we are fighting an epidemic of hesitancy and reluctance. As public trust in vaccines continues to erode, nurses are stepping up to fill the void with science, truth and patient advocacy. We won’t stand by as decades of medical progress are undone.

We, along with countless medical providers, consider vaccines to be miraculous. They prevent diseases often difficult to treat once contracted.

Vaccines are tested and then retested and verified by multiple agencies, more so than any other drug sold to the public. Vaccines are effective and they are life-saving. A 2024 study published in The Lancet estimated that vaccines have saved 154 million lives globally since 1974, comparable to a rate of six lives every minute.

In our practice, we occasionally hear that parents prefer to “slow walk” the vaccination schedule, making their own determinations as to what vaccine should be given and at what age of the child. Delaying the childhood vaccination schedule not only puts your child at more risk for disease, it also puts every child in their surroundings at risk. For instance, measles is so contagious that the unvaccinated or those with no immunity have a 90% chance of catching the disease if exposed to this virus.

With spring break right around the corner, we ask parents to please heed of the important role vaccines play in keeping their kids healthy. Do not risk their health based on hearsay and quackery. Trust your nurses and physicians who have the expertise and best interest of your child at heart. There is no room for regrets. Get your kids vaccinated.