1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

When news broke that the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) may be dismantled under RFK Jr.’s direction, public health experts sounded the alarm—and for good reason. This office plays a key role in promoting vaccine confidence, coordinating HIV prevention strategies, and responding to public health emergencies (HHS.gov, 2024). Without it, the federal government would have no centralized body overseeing some of the most pressing health issues facing Americans today. It’s not just about policy—it’s about lives, particularly in communities already underserved by the healthcare system. If this office is defunded or shut down, the consequences will fall on state and local governments. Public health infrastructure is already stretched thin, especially in rural and low-income areas. The OIDP supports state-level programs, education efforts, and vaccine outreach that many communities rely on. Losing that coordination and funding could reverse years of progress in managing infectious disease outbreaks and HIV transmission (CDC, 2023). This decision, if finalized, would also embolden vaccine misinformation and anti-science rhetoric. RFK Jr. has a long history of promoting unfounded vaccine conspiracies, and placing him in a position to dismantle public health efforts is reckless at best, and deadly at worst (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2023). Disbanding this office signals that the federal government is stepping away from its responsibility to protect public health—and states will be left to pick up the pieces. To state and local officials: we know you’ll say this is a federal issue. But the fallout from federal inaction will land squarely in your hands. Please speak out. Use your platforms. Pass resolutions. Pressure agency heads. Defend the programs that protect the most vulnerable Texans and Americans. You have a moral responsibility to help stop this before it leads to more unnecessary suffering and death.