Our Impact

Since our founding in 2020, SAFE Communities Coalition has stood up to the anti-vaccine agenda and worked for laws and policies that make our nation safer, healthier, more productive, and better defended against misinformation. SAFE’s Families for Vaccines chapters are the leading resource for pro-vaccine organizing, political policy analysis, and ability to influence legislative processes in favor of pro-vaccine initiatives.

“The work of SAFE Communities Coalition is where the rubber meets the road. While scientists are hard at work developing vaccines to prevent diseases, SAFE makes sure our lawmakers hear from everyday people about the importance of strong vaccine policies. Without evidence-based public health policies, diseases would run rampant, endangering our infants, children and entire communities.”

— Paul A. Offit, MD

SAFE by the Numbers

Total number of vaccine-related bills monitored since 2020

3,682

Legislators reached with district-specific information in 2024

1,047

Handwritten postcards delivered to legislators

534

Advocates brought to their State House for the first time

250

Number of vaccine-related bills monitored in 2024

492

State Families for Vaccines chapters

11

and counting

Anti-Vaccine Bills Introduced

2022
1500+

2023
1000+

2019
116

2018
81

2021
382

2020
186

2024
492

Testimonials

At the end of the 2022 Kansas legislative session, new vaccine-related proposed language that we hadn’t seen before in Kansas appeared at the last possible minute and we only had a few hours to respond. Immunize Kansas Coalition staff connected me with SAFE Communities Coalition. SAFE jumped on a Zoom call with only a few minutes notice, reviewed the proposed language with me, and helped us determine a direction. Their support and advice gave me confidence to offer an informed recommendation to the Immunize Kansas Coalition board, coalition partners, and a couple of key lawmakers. I’ll always be thankful that SAFE is a resource for our ongoing work to protect all Kansans from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Heather Braum—Immunize Kansas Coalition Policy Chair and Health Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children
We are incredibly grateful to SAFE Communities Coalition for their expert guidance and generous support in founding Tennessee Families for Vaccines. Over the past two years, SAFE has helped us bring advocates from across Tennessee together to promote good vaccine and public health policy. Unfortunately, anti-vaccine groups are raising millions of dollars and successfully spreading disinformation in our communities and specifically at the Tennessee legislature. Thanks to SAFE, we have new resources and shared expertise to help us organize and train our own advocates to counter this growing threat. In addition, SAFE links us to advocates in red and blue states across the country so that we can learn from each other and join forces to help all of us be more effective in keeping our communities safe from vaccine preventable diseases.

Barb Dentz—MD, FAAP
SAFE Communities Coalition was key to bringing together parent voices in Montana, and they did it remarkably quickly and effectively. With their support, parent leaders were able to form a group, analyze bills, make legislator contacts, and advocate for science-based policy -- "under the gun", so to speak, during a legislative session in which multiple bills sought to undermine vaccine policies for schools and daycares. These bills were all voted down or significantly amended, which was a huge improvement over the policies adopted the previous session. Their expertise and responsiveness were key, and parent voices really resonated with lawmakers.

Lauren Wilson—MD FAAP, President Montana AAP
Colorado Families for Vaccines planned and executed an inclusive and well thought out Day of Appreciation for Lawmakers and their staff this year at our State Capitol. Their experience and scope means that they are able to cut through outside noise and focus on building relationships with legislators to effectively advocate for pro-vaccine policies that are based in fact and science. We are grateful to have COFV and SAFE bringing an additional pro-vaccine voice to existing advocacy efforts, and I look forward to continuing to work together in the future.

The Honorable Susan Lontine—Executive Director of Immunize Colorado, former Colorado State Representative
The work of SAFE Communities Coalition is where the rubber meets the road. While scientists are hard at work developing vaccines to prevent diseases, SAFE makes sure our lawmakers hear from everyday people about the importance of strong vaccine policies. Without evidence-based public health policies, diseases would run rampant, endangering our infants, children and entire communities.

Paul A. Offit, MD