Biography
Rekha Lakshmanan is a nonresident scholar for the Center for Health and Biosciences and chief strategic officer at The Immunization Partnership (TIP) in Houston. Her work at TIP includes developing and implementing public policy strategies to improve Texas vaccination rates; advising other states and organizations on building grassroots networks; and teaching constituents how to communicate with lawmakers. She is also a frequent speaker on state vaccination policy initiatives.
Prior to TIP, Lakshmanan spent over a decade in the private sector helping health care organizations develop preventative and chronic care protocols to improve health outcomes. Her interests focus on the intersection of politics and policy development, and strategies to advance policy initiatives. She is currently an advisory member of the National Vaccine Advisory Council’s vaccine confidence subcommittee and a board member of The Houston Area Parkinson’s Society.
Lakshmanan holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Texas Woman’s University–Houston Medical Center and a B.A. in government from The University of Texas at Austin.
Contact at rlakshmanan@immunizeusa.org or 713-348-3786.
Recent Publications
In Houston Chronicle: Texas Schools Report Soaring Vaccine Exemption Rates Amid Anti-Vaccine Policy Push
Nonmedical vaccine exemptions among Texas schoolchildren continued to rise last year while Texas lawmakers sought to weaken immunization requirements during the 2023 legislative session. “I’m looking at the unintended consequences that lawmakers aren’t necessarily thinking about because they want to get their win and move on,” Lakshmanan said. “But then, all of us Texans are left holding the bag.”
With Delta Variant’s Spread, a Growing Consensus on Vaccine Mandates
External Publications
- “Personal Rights Over Public Health: Anti-vaccine Rhetoric in the Texas Legislature,” Vaccine: X, February 28, 2024.
- “Opinion: Texas Legislature Must Reinvest in Vaccinations, Public Health to Save Money, Protect Lives,” Houston Chronicle, May 14, 2020.