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This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices
I watched as measles broke out at schools in Broomfield earlier this year and spread across four counties. Families were scared, kids were kept home, and our community was left looking for answers that weren’t coming from the health officials we typically look to in Washington
Colorado is on track to surpass last year’s total number of measles cases, itself a number we hadn’t seen in years. This is happening as HHS Secretary RFK Jr. rolls back childhood vaccines and dismisses the science that could stop the spread of deadly diseases like measles
The threat to our health doesn’t end there. Nine Colorado hospitals are now at risk of cutting services or closing because of federal Medicaid cuts, including facilities in Leadville, Lamar, and Fort Morgan. Some of our communities are already far from the nearest hospital and that problem will become very real when an emergency hits
This summer has also seen outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, a parasite-derived intestinal illness that causes diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue, impacting half of the country, including Colorado. While it’s no COVID-19, the spread of this disease and lack of tracking raises alarms that HHS isn’t taking future disease threats as seriously as they could
Secretary Kennedy promised to follow the science and protect our health, but Coloradans are paying the price for his broken promises. Our own Representative Gabe Evans should tell lawmakers in Washington that enough is enough; we need to start taking public health seriously again
Sincerely,
Valerie Vigil
