BIO 2025: How Do We Talk About Vaccines Now?
Senior Policy Advisor Larry Bucshon was featured in a Bio.News article recapping his session at the 2025 BIO International Convention in Boston, where he explored evolving attitudes toward vaccines within the government and public sphere. Panelists talked about the effects of the pandemic, which changed the public's perception of vaccines and has led public health advocates to rethink long-held assumptions about vaccine policy and reformulate their approach to communicating about and providing data on vaccine development. Mr. Bucshon argued that "one of the biggest mistakes that everyone on both sides of the aisle made was politicizing vaccinations," as it created "a dangerous precedent to use public health as a political tool." He also noted lawmakers and everyday citizens alike are susceptible to misinformation, making it important to retool vaccine messaging and use data to empower choice. Additionally, he emphasized the role of local officials in changing the narrative around vaccines, emphasizing that working with community leaders is an important first step to de-coupling public health from politics.
"The people that lawmakers listen to the most are the people they represent," he said. "The best messengers on public health can be local people, local officials and local physicians."