On Vaccines — and All Health Care — the AAFP Remains an Agent of Truth

The results of the 2024 election and the policies shaped by those who have been elected will profoundly impact family medicine and the practice environment for all of us. 

For more than 77 years, the AAFP has advanced our core values with all elected officials, including ensuring access to affordable care, promoting evidence-based medicine, safeguarding the patient-physician relationship and prioritizing primary care as the foundation of the U.S. health care system. We are committed to working with the incoming Congress and the Trump administration to build a health care system centered on comprehensive and continuous primary care. 

Let me reassure you: The AAFP will always champion evidence-based medicine. Science, education and advocacy guide our work because they are essential to the health and well-being of our communities. We will continue to advocate for evidence-based care and hold health care leaders accountable to these principles. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I promise you that the AAFP will be an agent of truth — always. 

I know many of you are concerned about the growing national resistance to vaccines. Vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to prevent disease and save lives. As trusted partners, you play a vital role in educating your patients on the importance of vaccines. The AAFP is here to support you with resources and tools for informed conversations about vaccines and their profound impact on public health. As we continue to face declining rates of routine immunization and the heart of the winter respiratory illness season, I want to highlight a few of these resources: 

• Patient education materials: We offer a variety of materials to assist in patient discussions about vaccines, including fact sheets and infographics. You will also find resources on our patient-facing website, familydoctor.org, that can help your patients do their own research about vaccine safety and efficacy. 
• CME opportunities: To enhance your knowledge and equip you with tools to address vaccine hesitancy, we provide free CME courses focused on boosting confidence in vaccines, including those for COVID-19, pneumococcal disease and RSV. 
• Advocacy initiatives: Advocacy comes in many forms. For the AAFP, it includes active collaboration with lawmakers to ensure vaccines remain accessible and affordable for all, promoting health equity across our local communities and behind-the-scenes meetings to educate leaders. 
• Media outreach: The AAFP has an Immunization Resource Hub for members of the media to use in their coverage of vaccination and immunization. Additionally, family physicians are trusted messengers of credible health information who are featured in countless media outlets, including Fox News, Men’s Health, NPR, The New York Times, Time, TODAY, WebMD, USA Today and Woman’s Day.  

Elections evoke a range of emotions. Each of us, shaped by our values and lived experiences, interprets election outcomes differently. Our family medicine community is diverse, representing a spectrum of political perspectives. What unites us is our shared commitment to family medicine, our patients and the communities we serve. The AAFP is dedicated to supporting you in your clinical and professional work, regardless of the political landscape. 

On Nov. 7, I thanked you for serving your communities as the world changed around you. Today, I extend thanks again. Together, we remain a force for good — empowered by evidence, inspired by our mission and steadfast in our commitment to health for all.