Many years ago, in a small but lively Tennessee town, lived a man named Harold. Harold was deeply skeptical and had seen many things in his day. Whenever anyone wanted to talk about vaccines, he would wave them off, saying “Bah! Mumbo jumbo!” He did not trust vaccines at all. He would say, “All I need to keep me healthy is good food, enough sleep, and a strong immune system. There are too many vaccines these days. It’s all mumbo jumbo!”

Emily Delikat, MPH, CPH is the Director of Tennessee Families for Vaccines a statewide, grassroots, pro-vaccine advocacy organization.

This edition highlights vaccine hesitancy and misinformation around MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccines as children return to school and measles cases resurge in parts of the U.S. We also examine emerging narratives around COVID-19 vaccine misinformation following the FDA approval of COVID-19 boosters and false claims linking mpox to the vaccines. Additionally, a review of recent research explores strategies to combat MMR vaccine hesitancy, and we discuss the growing use of AI in academic papers.

The reality is that most Tennesseans understand the importance of vaccination not only in their personal health but also in protecting public health. We recognize that good public health policy is not just about personal choice; it's about safeguarding the health of our families and communities.

And we know that vaccines are one of the most effective tools for preventing the spread of infectious diseases and keeping Tennesseans safe because we have decades of scientific evidence to prove it.

Jason Goolsby, DO, FAAFP - Family physician at Brownsville Family Medicine in Brownsville, Tenn., and 2024 President of the Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians.