Saturday, March 17, 2007

“Hands Off Our Kids” Coalition Wins in Texas!



Through the united efforts of the many organizations and individuals of the “Hands Off Our Kids” Coalition we have made significant progress in halting the progress of HPV vaccine in legislatures across the county.


The biggest news is in Texas, where the legislature has passed a bill overturning the Governor’s Executive Order with enough votes to kill his likely veto. Dawn Richardson and the PROVE folks worked tirelessly there.

In California, the bill’s own sponsor tabled it this week because he realized he didn’t even have enough votes to get it out of committee, much less pass the Assembly.

Washington and New Mexico have passed bills that call for information-distribution only, not a mandate. And Wyoming has expanded funds to be available for low-income girls to receive the vaccine. Women picketed the D.C. City Council last week to express their opposition.

Our biggest disappointment is in Virginia, where the newly-elected Tim Kaine (D) signed the mandate into law the beginning of this month.


OTHER GOOD NEWS

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION:


Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA) has introduced H.R. 1153, the “Parental Right to Decide Protection Act” that would block all federal funding for any vaccine mandate, including those passed by states! READ THE BILL

HPV VACCINE RESEARCHER BLASTS MANDATE:

A lead researcher who has been working on the HPV vaccine development for more than 20 years has now gone public, saying that the mandate is wrong, and could result in higher rates of cervical cancer. Further, she accuses the drug companies of “overselling” the vaccine as a cancer preventative. READ THE STORY

KEEP UP THE EFFORTS

The obvious lesson here is that where we have concerned parents and activists working on this, we have been able to make a difference.

The Texas example gives us hope for Virginia and other states.

SOURCE: More information to follow!
Vaccine Information
Although these links are from previous years, the information and conclusions of the doctors and surgeons remain relevent today and are good sources of study for those that question the safety of vaccinations.



Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.

A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943

Omnia pro aegroto

SOURCE: American Physicians and Surgeons
FACT SHEET ON MANDATORY VACCINES

  • AAPS does not oppose vaccines. AAPS has never taken an anti-vaccine position, although opponents
    have tried to paint that picture. AAPS has only attempted to halt government or school districts from
    blanket vaccine mandates that violate parental informed consent.

  • 42 states have mandatory vaccine policies, and many children are required 22 shots by first grade.

  • According to government statistics, children under the age of 14 are three times more likely to suffer
    adverse effects -- including death -- following the hepatitis B vaccine than to catch the disease itself.

  • The Centers for Disease Control admits that the reported number of adverse effects of vaccines is
    probably only 10% of actual adverse effects.

  • The Physician's Desk Reference cites adverse reactions to the hepatitis B in less than 1 percent.
    However, if more than 70 million American children receive the vaccine, that means more than 700,000
    children are likely to suffer adverse reactions.

  • Children are a very low risk group for hepatitis B. Primary risk factors are dependent on lifestyle,
    i.e. multiple sex partners, drug abuse or an occupation with exposure to blood.

  • Rampant conflicts of interest in the approval process has been the subject of several Congressional
    hearings, and a recent Congressional report concluded that the pharmaceutical industry has indeed
    exerted undue influence on mandatory vaccine legislation toward its own financial interests.

  • The vaccine approval process has also been contaminated by flawed or incomplete clinical trials, and
    government officials have chosen to ignore negative results. For example, the CDC was forced to
    withdraw its recommendation of the rotavirus vaccine within one year of approval. Yet public
    documents obtained by AAPS show that the CDC was aware of alarmingly high intussuception rates
    months before the vaccine was approved and recommended.

  • Mandatory vaccines violate the medical ethic of informed consent. A case could also be made that
    mandates for vaccines by school districts and legislatures is the de facto practice of medicine without a
    license.

  • The CDC's own "Guide to Contraindications to Childhood Vaccination" warns that when assessing
    children's common symptoms, "if any one of them is a contraindication, DO NOT VACCINATE" [caps
    added]. And yet, under legislated mandates, the vaccines are still required.

Source: American Physicians and Surgeons


N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9

Tucson, AZ 85716-3450

Phone: (800) 635-1196

Hotline: (800) 419-4777


Association
of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc.

A Voice for Private Physicians Since 1943

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- New Mexico is on the verge of becoming the latest
state to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against a sexually
transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer, a spokesman for the
governor said Monday.

The state House approved the bill Sunday, and Gov. Bill Richardson
will sign it once he receives the legislation, spokesman Gilbert
Gallegos said.

"It's a public health issue, and I believe it's an important step,"
Richardson said Monday. "New Mexico has always been progressive on
these issues. ... We've got to find ways for young women to be protected."

The measure would take effect June 15 _ 90 days after the adjournment
of the Legislature.

Texas is the only state to require the vaccine so far, but other
states are considering doing the same. While federal regulators have
approved the vaccine, the issue of making it a requirement for girls
has been surrounded by controversy.

Merck & Co., the vaccine's maker, said last month that it would
suspend a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get states to require
it for school-age girls because of pressure from parents and medical
groups.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry sidestepped his state's Legislature when he
ordered the shots for girls entering the sixth grade there starting in
September 2008. He has since had to defend his relationship with
Merck; The Associated Press reported Perry's chief of staff met with
key aides about the vaccine on the same day Merck's political action
committee donated money to the governor's campaign.

It wasn't known if Merck had lobbied New Mexico officials.

Virginia lawmakers passed a similar law, which Gov. Timothy M. Kaine
has said he would sign. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's budget
proposal calls for providing the vaccine for free to all girls 9 to 18
who want it.

Other states have considered legislation as well. In Colorado,
lawmakers are debating a bill that would make the cervical cancer
vaccine mandatory for girls entering sixth grade unless their parents
sign a form refusing it.

The federal government approved Gardasil, a three-dose vaccine that
protects against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, in June for
females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine protects against HPV strains that
cause cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and genital warts.

More than 500 cases of mostly minor side effects have been reported in
girls and women who got the vaccine. Government health officials said
last month that no additional warning labels are needed.

Also Monday, two Texas lawmakers said that state health officials are
not required to follow Perry's order.

Their announcement was made after meeting with Texas Attorney General
Greg Abbott, who told them the order "was more like a suggestion to
the head of the agency," according to state Sen. Jane Nelson.

Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said the attorney general's office
does not discuss the content or substance of its discussions with
lawmakers.

The governor's office says the order is consistent with current law,
although Perry has acknowledged that the Legislature can supersede it.
The Texas House is to vote Tuesday on a bill that would bar state
officials from requiring the vaccine."

*SOURCE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn
/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031200509.html?nav=rss_health
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)