Untrained Surgeon General Challenges Public Health | New Orleans News

A physician with no formal public health training, Dr. Evelyn Griffin—once a vaccine skeptic ignited by a 2019 legislative hearing—is now Louisiana’s surgeon general, poised to reshape state health policy. Appointed amid national trends influenced by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., she’s already voted to restrict COVID vaccines and scrap newborn hepatitis B shots, facing legal pushback. Her immigrant roots from Communist Poland fuel her advocacy for “medical freedom,” while her ties to fringe health movements alarm experts. With her husband, also a doctor, often in her meetings, she champions individual choice over community protection—a radical shift in a state with the worst health outcomes in America. Supporters see her as a voice for rural and women’s health; critics warn her agenda could endanger vulnerable populations and undermine pandemic readiness. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d018e80ac844f482