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Swine Flu Vaccine Personal Protection Alert 08/13/09


Request for Letters to Legislators to PREVENT MANDATED Swine Flu Vaccination in Texas

Dear Friends,

The recent discussion at the state, federal, and even international level about an impending aggressive fall vaccination campaign for H1N1, or swine flu, has many Texas families alarmed that the government may attempt to force them to submit to a vaccine or drug treatment they do not want.  Foremost in these Texas citizens’ minds are questions about how they will be able to protect themselves and their families from vaccines and treatments that have debatable safety, efficacy, and even necessity while simultaneously protecting themselves from a new strain of the flu.

Unfortunately, a review of current Texas state law reveals tremendous unilateral power in the hands of unelected health department bureaucrats and glaring gaps in language protecting individual rights.  Unlike the laws that apply to school vaccines, the Health and Safety Code provides for absolutely no medical or reasons of conscience exemptions from state imposed mandated control measures like vaccination and antiviral drugs.  There is a highly restrictive religious exemption only available to those who adhere to a recognized religion choosing prayer in lieu of medical treatment, but that is basically useless as it “does not apply during an emergency or an area of quarantine or after the issuance by the governor of an executive order or proclamation.” (Health and Safety Code Sec 81.009)

Considering the fact that on June 11, the World Health Organization officially declared H1N1 Influenza a phase 6 (highest possible) pandemic, it is not unreasonable to be concerned that emergency declarations may be made in Texas thus leaving Texans with no options for exemptions. 

This is especially troubling since these experimental vaccines, potentially containing powerful unlicensed adjuvants, are being fast tracked at the FDA with very little known about side effects, and a recent study warns that antiviral drug use in children ages 12 and under actually does more harm than good. These are the same antiviral drugs the state has stockpiled for use this fall underscoring once again that parents need to ultimately be making these decisions for their children, not the health department.

These inhumane and unethical forced vaccination and drugging statutes provide for the inevitable sacrifice of some healthy individuals and leave no option for anyone, even those with known vulnerabilities, to refuse vaccination or drug treatments without facing the risk of incurring criminal penalties (Health and Safety Code 81.083).

We are asking everyone to please take the time to contact your state elected officials and ask them to ensure that Texans have the legal right to have the final say over what is put into their bodies without criminal penalties or discrimination at work, with insurance, or at school.  When Texas implements a swine flu vaccination campaign, it must be VOLUNTARY and non-coercive with OPT-IN informed consent and education about vaccine risks. 

Below you will find more information on many of the concerns being raised about the swine flu vaccine as well as links to lookup the identity and contact information of your elected officials and suggested sample letters to assist you in easily communicating this important request to your Texas legislators.  Together, we can make a difference.  Thank you!

Sincerely,
Dawn Richardson
Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE)
www.vaccineinfo.net


4 SIMPLE ACTION ITEMS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

  1. If this email note was forwarded to you and having the right to have the final choice over whether or not you take a vaccine or a drug for swine flu is important to you and your family, please consider signing up for our free and confidential email list so you can stay informed and make a difference at http://www.vaccineinfo.net/subscribe/subscribe.aspx

  2. Lookup the names and contact information of your State Representative and State Senator at http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ by entering your street address. (If more than one shows up because of questions on boundaries, write to both!

  3. Please send letters (sample below)  either by mail, fax or email to your:

    1. Your Texas State Representative
      by email: Through your  Representative’s Website at
      http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/welcome.php or
      [email protected]
      by mail: The Honorable (Full Name), Texas House of Representatives, P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX  78768-2910
    2. Your Texas State Senator
      by email: Through your Senator’s Website at http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/Members.htm  or
      [email protected]
      by mail: The Honorable (Full Name), Texas Senate, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711-2068.
    3. Texas Governor Rick Perry
      by email: http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/
      by fax: (512) 463-1849
      by mail: Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 12428, Austin, TX  78711-2428

  4. Please forward this information to family, friends, neighborhood associations, social groups, political groups, your church, school teachers and administrators, PTA, first responders (EMTs, paramedics, firemen), local police, sheriff, city council members, county commissioners, chamber of commerce, community and business leaders, and employer human resource directors.  Along with your elected legislators, their support and understanding of the issues is crucial to protecting your right to choose whether or not you take a vaccine or drug for swine flu.  You also may consider writing a short letter to the editor of local newspapers or neighborhood newsletters.  (This entire alert is posted at http://www.vaccineinfo.net/immunization/vaccine/H1N1_swine_flu/index.shtml - share this link with your friends on Facebook or Twitter asking them to contact their legislators too!)

SAMPLE LETTER TO LEGISLATORS

[YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]

[DATE]

[ADDRESS OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE, SENATOR or GOVERNOR]

Subject: Right to Refuse Swine Flu Vaccines and Antiviral Drugs

Dear [Representative LASTNAME, Senator LASTNAME, OR Governor Perry],

The recent discussion at the state, federal, and even international level about an impending aggressive fall vaccination campaign for H1N1, or swine flu, has our family concerned that our Texas government, our employer, our insurance company, or our school may attempt to force us to submit to a vaccine or drug treatment we may not want.

[INSERT OPTIONAL PERSONAL REASON WHY YOU MAY HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS LIKE PAST VACCINE REACTIONS, FAMILY HISTORY, ETC.]

 

Unfortunately, a review of current Texas state law reveals tremendous unilateral power in the hands of unelected health department employees and glaring gaps in language protecting individual rights.  Unlike the laws that apply to school vaccines, the Health and Safety Code provides for absolutely no medical or reasons of conscience exemptions from the imposition of mandated control measures like vaccination and antiviral drugs.  There is a highly restrictive religious exemption only available to those who adhere to a recognized religion choosing prayer in lieu of medical treatment, but that is basically useless as it “does not apply during an emergency or an area of quarantine or after the issuance by the governor of an executive order or proclamation.” (Health and Safety Code Sec 81.009)

Considering the fact that on June 11, the World Health Organization officially declared H1N1 Influenza a phase 6 (highest possible) pandemic, it is not unreasonable to be concerned that emergency declarations could be made in Texas thus leaving my family with no options for exemptions.  This is especially troubling since these experimental vaccines, potentially containing unlicensed adjuvants, are being fast tracked at the FDA with very little known about side effects, and a recent study warns that antiviral drug use in children ages 12 and under actually does more harm than good. These are the same antiviral drugs the state has stockpiled for use this fall underscoring once again that the parents need to make the final decision whether or not to use a drug or vaccine, not the health department.

These inhumane and unethical forced vaccination and drugging statutes provide for the inevitable sacrifice of some healthy individuals and leave no option for anyone, even those with known vulnerabilities, to refuse vaccination or drug treatments to prevent reactions without facing the risk of incurring criminal penalties (Health and Safety Code 81.083).

I am like many others in Texas who want to be sure we all have the legal right to make a choice and have the final say over what is put into their bodies without criminal penalties or discrimination at our jobs, with our insurance companies, or at our schools. Because the legislation cannot be fixed until next session, I am requesting two things:

  1. DO NOT ALLOW MANDATED swine flu vaccination when Texas implements a vaccination campaign this fall. Make sure it is VOLUNTARY and non-coercive with OPT-IN informed consent and includes education about vaccine risks. Although the legislature has delegated these decisions to the Health Commissioner, Health Department, and Governor, feedback from this office to the [Governor,} Health Commissioner and the Department of State Health Services requesting a voluntary vaccination program would be very helpful.
  2. Spend some time in the interim to look into implementing individual rights in Texas public health law so people are protected in the future in their right to decide whether or not to use a potentially reactive drug treatment or vaccination. Think of this like an eminent domain issue but for the body. Legislators advocating for greater individual property rights over government use and control of our land need to look at forced vaccination and drugging as government takeover of your body. What good is it to have control over your land if you are injured or killed by a vaccine or drug you did not want to take?

I am attaching an overview of some of the concerns I have with the swine flu vaccine.  Please consider doing all that you can to ensure that any swine flu vaccinations given in Texas are done on a voluntary basis and working in the interim towards restoring rights back to the people of Texas to be able to refuse potentially reactive vaccines and anti-viral drugs.   Thank you.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

What Do We Really Know About Swine Flu Vaccines?

Experimental swine flu vaccines being fast-tracked, side-stepping normal approval procedures and safety testing1, have many people concerned about their safety. Some have warned that the vaccine could cause worse problems than the swine flu itself.2  

Even though the federal government has announced that children will be among “the first in line” for swine flu vaccines3, the World Health Organization openly admits that there is very little to no safety data in children for the use of vaccine ingredients called adjuvants that they plan on using to stimulate an immune response.4

The adjuvants being used by some of the companies contracted to make the swine flu vaccines, MF59 and ASO3, contain squalene which has been repeatedly linked in the medical literature to cause serious autoimmune problems, and even more research links Gulf War Syndrome in soldiers to squalene based adjuvants in the anthrax vaccine.2,5,6

Many are questioning the federal government’s commitment to our children’s safety.  United States Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirmed that the controversial mercury based preservative Thimerosal, which has been removed from other childhood vaccines, will be used in the manufacturing of the new swine flu vaccine.  She was even quoted as telling Katie Couric on CBS News that “…there really is no safety risk with thimerosol.”7

The United States Health and Human Services National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has already paid out close to $2 billion dollars in damage claims for vaccine injuries8 caused by vaccines that have been fully tested and deemed “safe” for routine childhood vaccinations. That is hardly reassuring for people concerned about unknown side-effects from poorly tested experimental swine flu vaccines. If you are one of the unlucky ones to actually be injured or disabled by the swine flu vaccine, you won’t be able to sue to recover your medical bills as US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius signed a document in July guaranteeing that vaccine makers and federal officials will be immune from lawsuits that result from any new swine flu vaccine.9

The fact that we may be about to repeat history has even more people concerned. In 1976, Congress authorized mass immunizations where more than 40 million Americans received the swine flu vaccine before the program was halted after just 10 weeks because 25 people died after receiving the vaccine and more than 500 people are thought to have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome from the shot. In contrast, there were only 200 reported cases of the virus and 1 death from it.10 

Then there are questions as to whether or not the swine flu vaccine will even work11. Vaccine trials in the United States just started August 10th and “researchers may not have data on how well the vaccine causes the body to create antibodies for several weeks.”12 Looking at the track record of how poorly effective regular seasonal flu vaccines are in the United States makes the prospect of a rushed experimental vaccine having any significant impact even bleaker.13  There is even some research showing that mass vaccination could cause more widespread infection from a mutated vaccine resistant strain of an influenza virus rendering a mass vaccination program more harmful than helpful.14 

Not everyone who gets the swine flu is at risk for severe complications which raises even more questions in people’s minds about mass vaccination.  The CDC’s website reads “Most people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment.”15 The CDC says that obesity16, pregnancy and other previously recognized high risk medical conditions from seasonal flu appear to be associated with increased risk of complications from swine flu.17  Rushing to vaccinate everyone risking vaccine side effects with an experimental, unproven vaccine, especially people who are healthy and unlikely to suffer from severe complications from the virus itself, is reckless and ultimately undermines trust in public health.

  1. Barker T., Barrett P et al. The H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) Outbreak: HHS Emergency Authorities to Respond. Foley-Hoag. April 30, 2009.
    http://www.foleyhoag.com/en/NewsCenter/Publications/Alerts/Healthcare/Healthcare-Alert_043009.aspx
  2. Russell Blaylock, MD., Vaccine May Be More Dangerous Than Swine Flu. Newsmax.  July 7, 2009.
    http://www.newsmax.com/health/vaccine_swine_flu/2009/07/07/232717.html
  3. David Brown and Spencer S. Hsu. Students 1st in Line for Flu Vaccine.  Washington Post.  July 10, 2009. 
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070900353.html
  4. World Health Organization.  Transcript of Virtual Press Conference.  July 13, 2009.  P. 7, paragraph 5. 
    http://www.who.int/mediacentre/pandemic_h1n1_presstranscript_2009_07_13.pdf
  5. Dr. Mercola. Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret Exposed. August 4, 2009.
    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/08/04/Squalene-The-Swine-Flu-Vaccines-Dirty-Little-Secret-Exposed.aspx
  6. Vaccine A: The Covert Government Experiment  that’s Killing our Soldiers and Why GI’’s are Only the First Victims. Gary Matsumoto. pp. 339-344. 2004. Basic Books.  ISBN 0-465-04400-X. (Spualene References on pp339-344 posted on http://vaccineinfo.net/immunization/vaccine/H1N1_swine_flu/SqualeneReferencesVaccineA.pdf
  7. CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Web Exclusive: Sebelius on Vaccine Fears. July 30, 2009.
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/30/eveningnews/main5199450.shtml
  8. National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.  Statistics Reports. Awards Paid.
    http://www.hrsa.gov/Vaccinecompensation/statistics_report.htm
  9. Mike Stobbe.  Legal  Immunity Set for Swine Flu Makers.  Associated Press.  July 17, 2007.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu (expired)

    http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2009/07/legal-immunity-set-for-swine-flu.html  (new linke added 8/28/09)

  10. Shari Roan. Lessons from 1976 flu "debacle". The Seattle Times.  April 27, 2009. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009127469_flucontext27.html?syndication=rss
  11. Aldo Santin. Flu vaccine may be more dangerous than virus: ethicist. Winnipeg Free Press.  August 6, 2009.
    http://www.vancouversun.com/health/vaccine+more+dangerous+than+virus+ethicist/1867678/story.html
  12. Kathleen Masterson. Swine Flu Vaccine Trials Begin Testing Volunteers.  NPR. August 10, 2009.
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111743491&ft=1&f=1003
  13. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny.  The Truth About the Flu Shot.  Do Flu Shots Work?
    http://drtenpenny.com/the_truth_about_the_flu_Shot.aspx
  14. Iwami S, Suzuki T, Takeuchi Y, 2009 Paradox of Vaccination: Is Vaccination Really Effective against Avian Flu Epidemics?. PLoS ONE 4(3): e4915. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004915
    http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004915
  15. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions & Answers: Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You. August 11, 2009.  Are there human infections with novel H1N1 virus in the U.S.?
    http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm 
  16. Maggie Fox. Reuters. Obesity emerges as risk factor in severe flu. July 11, 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1053710520090711
  17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions & Answers: Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You. August 11, 2009.  How does novel  H1N1 flu compare to seasonal flu in terms of its severity and infection rates?
    http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm

 


RESOURCES

If you would like more information on the swine flu and the vaccine to help you to become more informed, here are a handful of links to helpful sites dedicated to providing you with information and actions to help you protect yourself and your family.


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August 28, 2009

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