Videos for Five Vaccine Culture War Myths Available Now for Sharing

By popular demand, you can now access five separate short videos featuring the five Vaccine Culture War Myths that were outlined by Barbara Loe Fisher in her Mar. 8, 2015 referenced commentary entitled "The Vaccine Culture War in America: Are You Ready?" You can share these short one to five minute videos with your family, friends and anyone you want to educate about vaccination, health and informed consent rights. 

Watch and forward the five Vaccine Culture War Myths here or watch and access all references to the original commentary here.

Parents Defend Vaccine Choices in State  

Hearings in Texas, North Carolina 

The orchestrated attacks on vaccine exemptions in America by forced vaccination proponents continues, as state legislatures hold public hearings on new bills to restrict the medical exemption and remove the religious and conscientious belief vaccine exemptions from state vaccine laws. Although bills to remove non-medical exemptions have been stalled in Washington and Oregon, similar bills in New Jersey (S1147 and A1931) and Minnesota (SF380/HF393) have already had public hearings and are moving forward for votes in one or both houses.

Register to be a user of the free online NVIC Advocacy Portal at NVICAdvocacy.org to stay up to date about vaccine bills moving in your state and what you can do today.

Texas: 20 Vaccine-Related Bills Pending. On Mar. 24, NVIC State Advocacy Director Dawn Richardson testified opposing HB 2474 that requires public posting of numbers of vaccine exemptions on file at schools. She said, "This bill requires the monitoring and release of total vaccine exemption rate information without breaking down which vaccines and dose exemptions are being taken. Not only does this render the information not useful, it is likely to be taken out of context and add yet another layer of pressure and coercion towards vaccination with every single dose of every single vaccine."

She pointed out that vaccinated children can still be contagious and that the bill "creates a false sense of security and has nothing to do with public health and protecting immune compromised students by ignoring the facts" that some people are non-responders to vaccination and that there is waning immunity with vaccines like pertussis.

She also opposed HB2171 to remove opt-in consent for electronic vaccine tracking when a child becomes an adult, arguing that adults at 18 years old should be able to choose whether or not they want their vaccination status tracked and shared with others. She said that the tracking system "will result in people who didn't want to be in the registry as adults being in there without their knowledge or consent. By then, the data has been shared and it can't be removed from other systems by opting out."

Watch Dawn's testimony and Q&A with legislators here. Register for and check the NVIC Advocacy Portal for frequent updates on the status of the 20 vaccine bills pending in Texas and next action steps you can take when contacting your Texas legislators.

North Carolina: Bill to Eliminate Religious Belief Exemption. SB356 will also add new vaccine mandates for federally recommended vaccines. A public hearing was held Mar. 24 and in testimony parents said, "We have a right to our own bodies" and "If you have a vaccine, why would be afraid that you would catch something?" and "People see this as a choice, a freedom, and it should not be taken away." Asked about the immune compromised, one parent responded "If you're immune compromised, a cold is deadly... does everybody with a cold stay home?"

Submit letters about this bill to your legislators today. Register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal to learn about talking points and be put in immediate electronic contact with your North Carolina legislators.

California: Bill to Eliminate Personal Belief Exemption. SB277 will eliminate the personal belief exemption in California for all public and private schools and home schooled children. Although there is a religious belief exemption in California, currently it unconstitutionally requires families to belong to an organized religion or state recognized church with a tenet opposing use of vaccines.

A hearing is scheduled in the Senate Health Committee on Apr. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal and learn about talking points and how to contact your California Assembly and Senate members to make your voice heard. Letters from organizations opposing the bill must be submitted by Apr. 1 to: Senator Ed Hernandez, Chair, Senate Committee on Health; State Capitol, Room 2191, Sacramento, CA 95814 (ATTN: Melanie Moreno). Fax: 916-266-9438.

Rhode Island: Bill to Eliminate Religious Exemption. S381 will eliminate the religious belief vaccine exemption for all public and private schools, including colleges and universities and will leave the state with only a narrow medical exemption. Most federally recommended vaccines will be required, including HPV vaccine for all children.

A hearing is scheduled in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Mar. 26 as early as 4:30 p.m in the Senate Lounge Room, 2^nd floor at the Capitol. Three-minute testimony is usually allowed and is submitted in writing - bring 12 copies with you. Register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal to learn about talking points and be put in immediate electronic contact with your Rhode Island legislators.

Illinois: Bill to Severely Restrict Religious Exemption.  

SB1410/HB2560will place severe restrictions on the religious exemption and basically leave only a narrow medical exemption. The bill has been referred to the Senate Public Health Committee. Submit letters to your state representative and senator today. If you are an Illinois resident, register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal to learn about talking points and be put in immediate electronic contact with your legislators.  

Film Trace Amounts Being Screened Across U.S. 
 

Trae Amounts is the true story of Eric Gladen who, after recovery from an illness following a Td shot, quit his career in search of answers about what had made him so sick. His journey led him across America interviewing experts and straight into the vaccine debate over whether vaccine ingredients, like mercury preservatives, are toxic.

This timely film raises important questions about vaccine safety that every American should be asking. Screenings of the film are being coordinated at GATHR Films and tickets can be purchased online. Trace Amounts has been shown in several state legislatures and there are many screenings scheduled coast to coast during April, May and June. Check to see if a screening is in your area.

Report and Share Your Vaccine Experiences on NVIC's Website
 

If you or your child have gotten vaccinated and the (1) vaccine failed to work or (2) caused harm or (3) you have been threatened or punished for declining one or more vaccines, you can report and also share your experiences with others on on NVIC's website here. 
 

NVIC in the News
 

New Texas Bill Would Expose Student Vaccination Information. "New legislation could soon change the way your child's medical information is shared by Texas public schools. Opponents of the bill, including National Vaccine Information Center advocacy director Dawn Richardson, call it a "vaccine discrimination bill.'" Newswest 9-TV Mar. 25.
 

 The Vaccine War (2015 Update). PBS "Frontline" Mar. 24. "Barbara Loe Fisher runs an independent watchdog organization dedicated to vaccine safety issues. It's an organization she helped found in 1982 after her son suffered a serious vaccine side effect... Fisher's organization lobbied successfully for laws that promote vaccine safety." She said, "Vaccines are pharmaceutical products that inherently carry a risk of injury or death that can be greater for some than others, particularly for genetic and biological high risk reasons, some of which have been identified and some which have not been identified." [The 53 minute broadcast can be viewed online]
 

  Two Sides Face Off Over Vaccines In TX Public Schools. "Medical organizations also came in support of the bills...There were several people who came out against the bills as well including Dawn Richardson who is the Director of State Advocacy for the National Vaccine Information Center....The two sides shared tense words with each other leading up to the bill's turn in the hearing, but it did stay quiet." Keye-TV Mar. 24.

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