![]() ![]() "This is not a monthlong evaluation period or anything like that," she said.īut Dr. Tanksley said she is confident the department of health will continue to successfully communicate with parents and providers. ![]() In a few cases, immunization reminders were sent directly to minors who had contact information listed in the department's electronic health records, according to a statement given to CNN by the Tennessee Department of Health. She said the goal was to ensure that vaccination reminders are sent to the parents of the adolescent. Tanksley said COVID-19 and other childhood vaccines would still be available while the department of health re-evaluates the vaccination notification process. And so we're just taking this opportunity to evaluate our messaging and to ensure that we're not hurting our efforts," spokeswoman Sarah Tanksley told CNN in a phone call. "We recognize where we are around the national conversation around vaccinations and it is a polarized conversation, and that is true in our state. The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed Wednesday it is temporarily halting all adolescent vaccine outreach, even for vaccines not related to COVID-19, telling CNN the issue is "polarized." Leading up to her firing, Fiscus said the department had halted all adolescent vaccine outreach, from COVID-19 communications to HPV reminders and acknowledgment of National Immunization Awareness Month. A halt to all adolescent vaccine outreach "We have all the tools we need to get out of this pandemic but the failure of leadership at the top is making this hard," Akbari said. Bill Lee regarding his decision to fire the state's top vaccination expert in the middle of a pandemic.ĭuring a virtual meeting with state legislative members Wednesday, Tennessee's Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Raumesh Akbari said the decision to fire Fiscus has put the state in a more dangerous position. Legislative leaders are now seeking answers from Tennessee Gov. In her state, she sees a "bowing of the department of health to some saber-rattling of some of our legislators who felt that it was inappropriate to share the mature minor doctrine that has been Tennessee Supreme Court case law since 1987." Tennessee's health department told CNN by email Tuesday it could not comment on personnel matters.įiscus said her firing was a symptom of a trend in many public health departments across the country. ![]() The policy has been in place for 34 years, was public facing on the Tennessee Department of Health website and was blessed by the governor's office, she said.īut legislators quickly began contacting the health department asking questions about the memo that some said undermined parental authority. In response, and in consultation with legal counsel at the Tennessee Department of Health, Fiscus said she sent a memo to the doctors citing the "mature minor doctrine," which allows health care providers to decide if any child has the capacity to consent to vaccination themselves. Amazon refused to reveal the sender, Fiscus said. There was no note and Fiscus said she contacted Amazon to try and determine who sent the muzzle. ![]() Before she was terminated, Fiscus released a memo citing Tennessee state law about whether minors may get medical care without their parents' permission.īacklash to the memo from state lawmakers was swift and comes amid political polarization of vaccines as experts urge Americans to get their doses and disinformation continues to drive large portions of the population away.įiscus said prior to her termination, a large Amazon package was delivered to her state office addressed to her. In the week prior to her termination, she received a package containing a dog muzzle, she told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday.įiscus has been at the center of a political battle in Tennessee over the vaccination of adolescents against COVID-19. Michelle Fiscus, a pediatrician who served as Tennessee's medical director of vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization, was fired Monday. (CNN) - Tennessee's former vaccine manager said she received a dog muzzle in the mail before she was fired.ĭr. Michelle Fiscus said she received a dog muzzle in the mail before she was fired. ![]()
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