This opinion editorial by Dr. Michela Corsi was published in The Detroit News. Read more here.
I became a physician because, from a young age, I knew how vital health care access was and that I wanted to bring it to communities. I chose preventive medicine because I’ve always known health isn’t something that exists in a silo, and sometimes the most essential part of staying healthy is what you do before you get sick.
That drives everything I do as a health care professional, work that now also involves health education and vaccine awareness. Vaccines are essential to the health of our communities. When enough people are vaccinated against a disease, it becomes difficult to spread, protecting our loved ones.
Because of this, vaccines remain one of the single most effective medical interventions, ensuring that babies reach their first birthdays and stay healthy into adulthood, and protecting seniors and other vulnerable populations. They have saved over 154 million lives over the past 50 years and all but eradicated diseases like polio, tetanus and measles.
As the medical director of a local health department, I work closely with healthcare providers throughout our county and our immunization clinic team. Together, we hear from families every day — and one message always stands out: parents and guardians sincerely want to protect their children and make the best choices for their health. And that is why the challenges to long-standing and accepted scientific evidence, backed by years of research, coming from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC have created so much confusion for families.
For example, in early December, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met and voted to recommend ending the universal dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth, despite opposition from many healthcare professionals and experts. While parents have always had the option to discuss this with their provider, the change to 30 years of medical precedent creates unnecessary confusion for parents just trying to protect their children.
The birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine has significantly reduced overall infection rates in the U.S., especially among children and young adults. Babies, especially vulnerable to diseases, are the ones who will pay the highest price.
And we have seen this happen with measles, a highly contagious disease that can cause serious health complications, including pneumonia, especially among children. The best protection against it is immunization, but rates are dropping due to misinformation. So far in 2025, there have been 46 outbreaks of measles and 1,828 confirmed cases. By comparison, in 2024, there were 16 outbreaks and 285 cases.
Families across Michigan should know that vaccines will protect their children and save lives. Our leaders have a responsibility to base public health decisions on evidence, not ideology.
If we want to stop the spread of diseases and prioritize the safety of our children, we need bold leadership, regardless of political party, that treats vaccine access like the public health priority it is. That means listening to experts and refusing to politicize basic science. It means ensuring that every parent has access to accurate, trustworthy information from their physicians.
We also must remember why vaccines were created in the first place: to prevent children from suffering and dying from diseases we know how to stop. The goal has always been to protect our families.
I entered medicine because I believe that communities can thrive when we prioritize prevention. Today, that requires physicians and elected leaders alike to reaffirm the scientific evidence that has kept us healthy for so many years. Vaccines work. They are safe. And they remain one of the most outstanding public health achievements in human history.
Michela Corsi MD, MPH, MA is medical director for the Genesee County Health Department.