Congress Must Act To Prevent Lifelong Disease Caused By Vaccine Supression

CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PREVENT AVOIDABLE LONG-TERM DISEASE CAUSED BY VIRAL INFECTION As your constituent, I am writing in response to the February 6, 2026 Washington Post opinion essay titled “The Long-Lasting Effects of Viruses - and the Anti-Vaccine Movement,” written by Scott Gottlieb, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The article documents how vaccine suppression, measles resurgence, and stalled next-generation vaccine research are driving preventable long-term disease in the United States. Congress must intervene through oversight, funding, and legislative action to reverse these failures before they cause further avoidable harm. Vaccination prevents long-term disease, not just infection, which means failures in vaccine policy can create lifelong health consequences. Viral infections such as measles and Epstein-Barr virus are not merely short-term illnesses. They are linked to immune system damage, cancer risk, autoimmune disease, and long-term neurological harm. When preventable outbreaks and long-term disease affect children and families, the cost of inaction is measured in lives disrupted, not abstract statistics. These risks are not theoretical or distant; they are unfolding now and require action during the current Congress, not further delay. CONGRESS MUST PROTECT NEXT-GENERATION VACCINE DEVELOPMENT The article highlights delays affecting vaccines intended to prevent downstream disease, including Epstein-Barr virus vaccines associated with lymphoma and multiple sclerosis prevention. These efforts represent some of the most cost-effective disease-prevention tools available. Congress must ensure that scientifically viable vaccine programs are not delayed or abandoned due to political pressure or administrative interference. CONGRESS MUST REBUILD MEASLES IMMUNITY AND OUTBREAK PREVENTION Measles outbreaks are resurging because vaccination coverage has fallen below safe levels. Measles is extremely contagious and uniquely dangerous because it can erase immune memory and increase vulnerability to other infections. Federal leadership is required to ensure states and communities have the resources and data needed to prevent outbreaks rather than respond after harm has occurred. CONGRESS MUST SAFEGUARD SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AT FDA AND CDC The article explains how vaccine evaluation and public health guidance are increasingly undermined by non-scientific forces. When regulatory independence erodes, delays and confusion follow. Congress has a responsibility to protect the scientific integrity and transparency of the agencies it created. CONGRESS MUST ACT NOW TO PREVENT FURTHER PUBLIC HEALTH HARM Congress should: (1) Establish a dedicated appropriations line for next-generation vaccine research, including Epstein-Barr virus vaccines, with clear milestones and reporting requirements. (2) Require written scientific justification and Congressional notification before federally funded vaccine research programs are delayed or terminated. (3) Fully fund state and local immunization infrastructure, including outbreak staffing and surveillance systems. (4) Require transparent reporting of community vaccination coverage as a condition of certain federal public health funds. (5) Codify independence protections and public timelines for FDA and CDC vaccine review and recommendation processes. CONGRESS MUST TREAT INACTION AS A PUBLIC HEALTH FAILURE The harms described in the article are measurable, preventable, and already occurring. Continued inaction will produce higher health costs, preventable disability, and deeper erosion of public trust. I urge you to speak publicly on this issue, support oversight hearings, and pursue legislative and funding solutions that place long-term public health above short-term political pressure. Thank you.