02/04/2025
Showing up in this challenging time
April 1, 2025
Dear colleagues:
Today, thousands of career civil servants lost their jobs in public health, as widespread layoffs took place across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scientists, researchers, public health experts among them. Importantly, this includes our pediatrician colleagues.
These are people that AAP leaders and staff have worked alongside for years, whose expertise has been honed over decades, and their influence has been substantial. The loss of their combined contributions and knowledge is impossible to quantify. The impact of their loss of expertise on the programs they led remains to be seen, but will be significant. Last week, we issued this statement with other physician groups when these cuts were first announced.
Today is a difficult and disappointing day. Reach out to our colleagues who were impacted and tell them how much they matter. Remind them that the AAP is their family.
With the recent abrupt and sweeping rescissions of federal funds to state health departments, a number of our chapters have been directly affected. As measles spreads rapidly across more and more states, pulling back needed resources feels not only woefully short-sighted, but dangerous. The recent hiring of anti-vaccine activists and forced resignation of vaccine experts further threatens one of the core aspects of pediatrics and of a healthy society: childhood immunizations.
When coupled with executive orders and other administrative actions, these cuts hinder core aspects of our work beyond infectious diseases, including preventing injuries, taking care of children with disabilities, overcoming child health disparities and protecting the relationship between physicians and families.
This is not the way to make our children or America healthier. It makes the job of every pediatrician, pediatric medical subspecialist and pediatric surgical specialist more difficult. Now is the time for the federal government to lead with science and partner with experts to advance policies we know work for children and families, to fund cutting edge science to advance our field; and strengthen public health at the local, state, and federal level.
So what can (and must) we do?
First, if you are experiencing direct impacts on the ground from the recent public health funding cuts or layoffs of federal staff, you should call your members of Congress and tell them about how it’s impacting you. Scroll to the bottom of federaladvocacy.aap.org to look up your elected officials’ office phone numbers and ask to speak with the health staff. Remember, these elected members depend on support from our communities. Our stories are only as impactful as the number of times and places we are willing to share them. Take families, friends and allies with you on this advocacy journey.
Second, even as we recognize the harm already occurred, we can act to address what’s still at stake. This week, negotiations are taking place in Congress on our federal budget that could see billions in cuts to Medicaid. This is a fight we can win. Go to federaladvocacy.aap.org and write to your elected officials about why they must protect Medicaid. To have the most impact, please customize the message and make it personal. Speak from your heart. And challenge 3 of your friends and colleagues to do the same.
Third, we can use our voices as child health experts to counter the misinformation that’s out there, especially on vaccines. I did my part to try to do that on cable news last week. Take my words, and those of other experts, and make them your own. Amplifying the same talking points from multiple voices increases impact. AAP’s advocacy guide has tools to help you write op-eds and other ways to make your message impactful.
Every day we show up as pediatricians is a better day for kids. Even when, and especially when, it’s hard. We can focus on what’s in front of us today. We can lean on the community we’ve built with one another. We can keep showing up, together. For kids.
Sincerely,
Sue Kressly, MD, FAAP
President
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