Issue Position: Vaccines

Issue Position

I am strongly in support of mandatory vaccinations. After receiving my PhD in nutritional epidemiology, I had the privilege of teaching a course focused on public health at Cornell University. One of the first concepts we teach is "community immunity", which occurs when enough people get vaccinated to eliminate the spread of the disease due to the low number of susceptible hosts. This protects people who cannot be vaccinated themselves, like children undergoing chemotherapy and the immunocompromised.

The science of vaccines is always improving. In Albany, I will continuously work to fine-tune medical exemption policies, the scheduling of vaccines, and regulations on vaccine safety. I am uniquely positioned to help navigate these changes in New York because of my background in public health.

Right now, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Researchers around the world are racing to find a vaccine to end this crisis. This is a prime example of the important role that vaccines play in protecting our communities.

I am ready and qualified to fight for policies that prioritize the health of New Yorkers.

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