Michigan: Protect Our Public Health

Governor Whitmer, Dr. Bagdasarian and Director Hertel

Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
More and more Michiganders are waking up to the fact that the pillars of the health care system that they count on for themselves and their families are in danger of collapsing. Affordable health insurance, life-saving vaccines, and sound public health guidance are being attacked by the government in Washington, which offers bogus solutions in their place. In response, states are considering how to protect access to health care, vaccines, and needed public health programs, regardless of what Washington does. Please sign the petition below, which calls on the Governor and Michigan’s public health leaders to join with other states to use their power to protect our public health and health care systems.

Sincerely,
Defend Public Health – Michigan
Eve Mokotoff MPH, Marcus Cheatham PhD, Ellen Sugrue Hyman JD, Peter Lipson MD, Rob Lyerla PhD, Debra Szwejda BSN MPA

Please contact Marcus Cheatham, cheatham.marcus@gmail.com with any questions!

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Defend Public Health

To: Governor Whitmer, Dr. Bagdasarian and Director Hertel
From: [Your Name]

Dear Governor Whitmer, Dr. Bagdasarian and Director Hertel:

We are writing to ask you to use your powers to protect the health of Michiganders from actions being taken by the Trump administration that pose unprecedented threats to the public health system.

These actions include severe reductions in funding for both vital public health functions and individual health care coverage, the purging of public health expertise from federal, state and local institutions, and a broad attack on science and evidence-based health information that has left the public confused and fearful. We are asking you to do four specific things:

• Declare a public health emergency citing as evidence factors such as increases in maternal mortality and mortality among low-income and rural people, increasing health disparities, and plunging immunization rates.
• Take all necessary actions to ensure access to all vaccines recommended by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices as of September 1, 2025 and the American Academy of Pediatric’s immunization schedule.
• Work with other states to form a regional health coalition to ensure the availability of vaccines and promote research and evidenced-based information on their safety and effectiveness at preventing serious and life-threatening disease.
• Form a public-private partnership to identify resources to maintain an emergency level of health care coverage for vulnerable people who may lose access to care because of H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

We applaud the Governor for the Executive Order of September 17, 2025, which ensures the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in Michigan, and for Dr. Bagdasarian’s statement that that not having the vaccine is itself a preexisting condition.

Defend Public Health - Michigan and its members are deeply grateful for your commitment to the well-being of all Michiganders. We stand ready to work with you in these critical efforts.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned