Biotechnology Industry Organization Lobbies Lawmakers on Immunization Initiative

In the face of rising scientific misinformation, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has launched a comprehensive campaign to educate Americans about the critical importance of vaccines. The initiative, tagged “Invest in America. Vaccinate,” seeks to counter growing skepticism with factual information about immunization benefits.

“We’re doubling down on education at a time when there’s a lot of misinformation,” a BIO spokesperson told Fierce Biotech. The organization represents the largest collective of biotechnology companies worldwide and views this effort as increasingly necessary in the current climate of vaccine hesitancy.

The spokesperson emphasized that vaccine support transcends political affiliation. “It’s not a belief or something specific to one side of the aisle or independence. It’s about public health and people understanding that the science protects the public.”

BIO’s multi-platform campaign includes a dedicated website called “Why We Vaccinate” featuring educational materials and graphics, a one-minute video, and promotional messaging that appeared on billboards at Boston Logan International Airport during the organization’s convention in June.

The timing of the campaign is not coincidental. It was conceived following the recent presidential election, with BIO concerned about potential policy shifts affecting public health. The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic, to a health-related position has already led to decisions undermining vaccine credibility, according to the organization.

“Vaccines are one of the most important and effective innovations for the defense of public health in America,” the BIO representative explained. “They have saved millions of lives and drastically reduced or eliminated deadly and debilitating infectious diseases like smallpox, polio and measles.”

The campaign highlights compelling statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood immunizations protected approximately 117 million American children, preventing more than 32 million hospitalizations and saving an estimated 1 million young lives.

This success, however, has created an unintended consequence: many Americans, particularly younger generations, have never witnessed the devastation caused by now-preventable diseases. The spokesperson noted that a “rising number of people” are “unaware of the devastation caused by preventable diseases,” which explains why BIO deliberately incorporated historical imagery of polio, smallpox, and measles in their messaging.

The campaign also emphasizes the overwhelming public consensus on vaccination. According to federal government data from 2019-2023, more than 90% of American adults choose to vaccinate their children against life-threatening infections.

“It’s an overwhelming majority, not from one party or another,” the spokesperson noted. “Nine out of 10 people in the country choose to vaccinate their children.” They attributed this high rate to scientific evidence supporting vaccine efficacy and safety.

Despite this broad acceptance, vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, correlating with resurgences of previously controlled diseases. This concerning trend motivates BIO’s efforts to remind Americans about “the power we have to prevent illness, suffering and death from disease.”

The economic arguments for vaccination are equally compelling. According to an analysis from the Office of Health Economics, fully vaccinated adults generate billions in societal monetary benefits, translating to approximately $4,637 in savings per person through prevented medical treatments and workplace productivity.

“Considering it’s a preventative measure, it really does have a high return on investment,” the BIO representative concluded, emphasizing that vaccines represent not just a public health intervention but a sound economic investment for the nation.

As scientific misinformation continues to spread through social media and political channels, BIO’s campaign represents a coordinated effort by the biotechnology industry to protect public health through education and advocacy based on scientific evidence.