Congressman Andy Biggs has released a list of health policy commitments in his campaign for Arizona governor. Public health experts say proposed plans to loosen vaccine requirements in the state could have dangerous consequences.
In the announcement of his health platform, Biggs, the Republican nominee, said he supports issues championed by the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
“The MAHA movement is one of the most important American initiatives of this generation,” Biggs said in a press release. “Our MAHA Platform is a series of clear and reasonable policy commitments that we’ll take action on when I’m Governor to protect our health freedoms and encourage Arizonans to lead a healthy lifestyle.”
The MAHA movement is associated with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic who has promoted dramatic changes to U.S. immunization policies, against the advice of major medical associations.
Vaccine-related proposals top the list of Biggs’ 12-point MAHA platform. Biggs promises to end medical mandates in Arizona to “ensure vaccine freedom,” require schools to provide parents with more information about vaccine exemptions, and prohibit colleges and universities from requiring immunizations as a condition for enrollment.
Public health experts say requiring vaccines in schools is one of the most effective tools for preventing outbreaks of dangerous diseases. Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, cites a drop in school vaccination rates as one of the reasons behind a resurgence of the once-eliminated measles virus in the U.S. over the last two years.
And, Humble said, school vaccine requirements are critical for protecting the most vulnerable children.
“By having high vaccination rates, you’re able to help protect those kids who can’t get vaccinated because of legitimate medical reasons,” Humble said.
And Humble points out Arizona already allows broad exemptions from school immunization requirements. The state has the fifth-highest rate of kindergartners with personal belief exemptions in the nation, according to health policy research organization KFF.
“It’s as simple as saying, ‘I don’t want to vaccinate my kid, and I’m going to send them to school anyway,” Humble said. “That’s the way it is [in Arizona] now. [Biggs] wants to loosen it even from that?”
Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature in recent years has passed bills similar to policies on Biggs’ list, including a bill to require schools to include information about vaccine exemptions in any communications with parents regarding immunization requirements and a bill to require colleges and universities to allow students 18 and older to opt out of required immunizations for reasons of personal beliefs. Both were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs who is seeking reelection in the race against Biggs.
In her veto letters, Hobbs called the bills unnecessary. Information on vaccine exemptions for parents of school children is widely available, and universities and community colleges already have vaccine exemption policies in place, she said.
Biggs’ health platform also includes other policies that have appeared as bills in the state Legislature. Biggs promises to limit purchases of soda or junk food with SNAP benefits and to make the livestock deworming drug and debunked COVID-19 treatment, ivermectin, available for human use over-the-counter.
Hobbs has vetoed bills to restrict SNAP purchases in 2025 and 2026. And a bill to allow ivermectin over-the-counter in Arizona failed to advance out of committees this year.
But the governor’s influence on public health extends beyond legislative action, Humble said.
“It’s not just about signing bills and vetoing bills” Humble said, adding Arizona’s governor has an important responsibility to appoint qualified directors for the Arizona Department of Health Services and the state Medicaid program, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS.
“Depending on who you select and what direction you give those agency directors, you can have a profound impact,” Humble said.
