OLYMPIA, Wash. (Feb. 6, 2020) – A bill introduced in the Washington state House would significantly strengthen the state’s vaccine safety requirements and push back against any future federal vaccine mandates.
A coalition of seven Republicans introduced House Bill 1976 (HB1976). The proposed law would prevent the state of Washington from requiring the administration of childhood vaccines that fail to meet the following criteria:
(a) A pivotal trial conducted by the FDA has evaluated the safety of the vaccine against a control group that received:
(i) A placebo;
(ii) Another vaccine or substance licensed by the FDA that was evaluated against a control group that received a placebo;
(b) A pivotal trial conducted by the FDA has evaluated the vaccine for at least one year after the administration of the vaccine to capture potential autoimmune, neurological, and chronic health effects that arise after administration of the vaccine;
(c) The vaccine has been evaluated for its potential to cause cancer;
(d) The vaccine has been evaluated for its potential to mutate genes;
(e) The vaccine has been evaluated for its potential to impair fertility;
(f) The vaccine has been evaluated for its potential to cause autism spectrum disorder; and
(g) The department of health has publicly disclosed the injury rate of the vaccine when administered with the vaccines required under Washington state’s school and child care vaccination requirements.
Effect on federal policy
Passage of legislation that preserves rights related to vaccines, such as HB 1976, would push back against any future federal mandates.
In the U.S., vaccine mandates are based upon CDC recommendations. The mandates currently exist at the state level and apply only to children. States have historically allowed all or some of the following types of exemptions from the mandates: 1.) religious; 2.) medical; and 3.) philosophical. [1] However, states are increasingly rolling back or eliminating exemptions, including Washington state. Washington currently has all three types of exemptions. [2] However, its philosophical exemption was weakened in July of 2019 when a law was enacted making it inapplicable to the MMR vaccine. [3] Further, a bill has been introduced in this legislative session that seeks to entirely eliminate the state’s philosophical exemption (Washington SB 5841).
Although the U.S. currently has no federal vaccine mandates, other countries have issued mandates at the federal level and there’s reason to believe that the U.S. may follow suit. In February of 2019, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, then Commissioner of the FDA, made comments to CNN indicating that the federal government has the authority to mandate vaccines and could step in with mandates if states don’t require more children to be vaccinated. [4] Gottlieb made the comments shortly before resigning as FDA Commissioner in May of 2019 and joining the Board of Directors of Pfizer, Inc., a vaccine manufacturer, in June of 2019. [5]
Further, any future federal mandates in the U.S. may apply to adults as well as children. The CDC has both a childhood vaccine schedule and an adult one. [6] The feds have explicitly stated the goals of increasing overall vaccination rates and increasing rates specifically in the adult population. These goals are discussed in the National Vaccine Plan (NVP) and the National Adult Immunization Plan (NAIP), respectively, which can be found on HHS’s website. [7] [8]
Argentina, Italy and France are examples of countries that have recently issued vaccine mandates at the federal level and Argentina’s mandates apply to both children and adults. [9] [10] In December of 2018, Argentina enacted a law mandating its entire 20 vaccine schedule upon both children and adults, with proof of vaccination required not only to attend school but also to obtain important government documents such as passports, driver’s licenses and Argentina’s National Identity Documents. [11] Some believe that Argentina’s vaccine policy may serve as a blueprint for other countries, including the U.S.
Vaccines are a highly complex medical intervention, requiring thorough safety testing and analysis.
In the U.S., there is a multitude of vaccines licensed, each having a unique set of ingredients, a unique dosing schedule and a unique body of scientific research. Further, each vaccine is administered to a unique human being with his or her own medical history, genetic background and medical vulnerabilities. Therefore, the safety issues surrounding vaccines are vast and highly complex. Some of those safety issues are discussed below and are addressed by HB 1976.
The CDC vaccine schedules are growing, requiring safety testing of the cumulative and combined effects of the vaccines on the schedules.
Two important facts should be kept in mind when considering vaccinations in the U.S. First, special protections from liability have been put into place for the manufacturers of most vaccines and for the medical providers who administer them. Second, since these protections were put into place, the number of vaccines recommended by the vaccine industry and the CDC has risen sharply.
In the U.S., almost all manufacturers are subject to product liability. Therefore, the lifting of liability for vaccine manufacturers was a highly unusual step. This resulted from the 1986 passage of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) and subsequent amendments to the Act, along with a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision. [12] The 1986 Act also created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), a special system outside of the normal litigation process for claims of harm caused by vaccines, in which the government is the defendant, not the vaccine manufacturers. Any compensation granted by the NVICP is paid by the public, through a surcharge on vaccines, and not by vaccine manufacturers. Over $4 billion has been paid out to date under this system. [13]
Further, the normal discovery rules, which require parties to produce relevant records, such as e-mails, and to answer interrogatories and requests for admissions, don’t apply to the manufacturers of most vaccines. Discovery is not permitted in the NVICP process and, pursuant to the NCVIA, vaccine manufacturers cannot be made to submit to discovery in connection with claims of vaccine injury.
The unique legal framework discussed above has substantially increased the profitability of most vaccines and, since it’s imposition, the number of vaccines recommended by the vaccine industry and the CDC has grown significantly. In 1983, prior to the removal of the liability discussed above, the CDC recommended 24 doses of 7 childhood vaccines. [14] The CDC now recommends 70 doses of 16 vaccines by age 18. [15]
The expanding number of recommended vaccines is especially alarming when considered over the course of a lifetime. A person receiving all of the recommended doses on both the childhood and adult CDC schedules would receive a lifetime total of approximately 149 vaccine doses. [16] Further, hundreds of new vaccines are being developed and it’s expected that many will be added to the schedules. According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, as of late 2017, there were over 260 vaccines in development by American companies alone. [17]
In light of some vaccine ingredients, the growing vaccine schedules are particularly concerning. Although ingredients differ by vaccine type, generally, vaccines contain a myriad of toxic or concerning substances. Examples are aluminum, human DNA, animal DNA, antibiotics, formaldehyde, mercury, Polysorbate 80, bovine extract, egg protein, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). [18] [19] [20] Any potential for harm from these ingredients is increased when the number of vaccine doses rises and when vaccines are given in combination. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the CDC’s childhood schedule includes recommendations for receiving doses of multiple vaccines in the same office visit (as many as nine in one visit), the CDC hasn’t required safety testing of the vaccines in these combinations. [21]
Aluminum is an example of a vaccine ingredient that may be problematic with cumulative exposure. A recent study in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology found that the 2019 CDC childhood vaccine schedule is 15.9 times over the recommended safe level of aluminum when researchers adjusted for body weight and estimated that a child who followed the schedule would be in a state of “chronic toxicity” for 70% of the child’s first seven months of life. [22] [23] Further, multiple studies associate aluminum with autism, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and Parkinson’s disease as well as with behavioral abnormalities in animals. [24] Included below is further discussion of the possible connection between aluminum and autism.
Vaccines are not subject to placebo-controlled studies
HB 1976 addresses a primary concern about vaccines: the lack of placebo-controlled studies. The FDA classifies vaccines as “biologics” rather than “drugs,” thereby allowing vaccine manufacturers to forego the multi-year, double-blind inert placebo-controlled studies required for drug approval. [25] Almost all vaccine safety studies are conducted without a control group of unvaccinated individuals receiving nothing but an inert placebo. [26] Generally, if a “control group” is used during a vaccine safety study, the group receives a substance which is not inert, such as another vaccine or an adjuvant such as aluminum. [27] For example, when Merck conducted clinical trials for Gardasil 9 it used the original Gardasil vaccine as the “placebo” in the control groups. [28]
Just as the FDA hasn’t required vaccines to undergo true placebo-controlled studies for approval, the CDC hasn’t required its schedules of recommended vaccines to undergo studies comparing those vaccinated in accordance with the schedules with a “control group” of unvaccinated individuals. This is despite evidence indicating that unvaccinated children, or children receiving less than the full CDC schedule of vaccines, may have better health outcomes than those who receive the full schedule. For example, on July 18, 2019, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) posted an article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of CHD, entitled “Fully Vaccinated v. Unvaccinated – A Summary of the Research” summarizing the results of multiple studies conducted since 1999 comparing vaccinated individuals with the unvaccinated which indicate a higher incidence of chronic diseases and brain and immune system injuries among the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated. [29]
Another article posted by the CHD team on March 19, 2019, entitled “Real-Life Data Show that the CDC Vaccine Schedule is Causing Harm” discusses ten years of practice data from Dr. Paul Thomas, a Board-certified pediatrician in Oregon, which reflects that the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children in Dr. Thomas’ practice had dramatically lower risks of autism compared to children vaccinated according to the CDC schedule. [30]
In another example comparing the vaccinated with the unvaccinated, a study published in 2017 from the School of Public Health at Jackson State University found that 33% of vaccinated preterm babies had a neurodevelopmental disorder compared to 0% of the unvaccinated preterm babies; and vaccinated children in this study had an increased risk of 290% for eczema, 390% for allergies, 420% for ADHD, 420% for autism, and 520% for learning disabilities. [31] [32]
Instances also exist in which researchers compared the vaccinated with the unvaccinated with regard to a specific vaccine and found better health outcomes in the unvaccinated. For example, a study published in 2012 which compared children who received influenza vaccine with those who received a saline placebo found that, while both groups had a similar rate of influenza, the vaccinated group had a 440% increased rate of non-influenza infections. [33]
Vaccines require additional testing for potential autoimmune and other chronic health effects.
Vaccines are subject to very short periods of monitoring for adverse reactions, often of 14 days or less. [34] [35] Short monitoring periods are particularly concerning because research has shown a possible connection between vaccines and medical conditions that develop over longer periods of time, such as autoimmune disorders.
In the past several decades, autoimmune disorders have become increasingly common in the U.S. and other high-income countries and they’re now estimated to affect approximately 5% to 10% of the population in such countries. [36] Research indicates that similarities between the pathogenic antigens contained in vaccines and the human proteins of vaccine recipients can prompt a mechanism called “molecular mimicry” which may play a role in autoimmune disease. [37] In a recent article, Israeli researchers reviewed three examples of probable molecular mimicry, considering evidence linking influenza, hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to vaccine-induced autoimmunity. [38]
Other research also points to the possible role of vaccines in autoimmune disorders. For example, one study found evidence linking yeast protein-containing HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines to autoimmune disorders such as vitiligo, narcolepsy, hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. [39] Another study concluded that vaccines containing animal, plant and fungal proteins are inducing numerous autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and others. [40]
Further information discussing the possible connection between vaccines and autoimmune disorders can be found in a book by Thomas Cowan, MD published in 2018 entitled Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness. [41]
Vaccines require additional testing for their potential to impair fertility.
HB 1976 addresses the issue of vaccines’ potential to impair fertility and this is important in light of evidence linking some vaccines to diminished fertility. For example, research has shown a statistically significant increase in miscarriages in women who have received an influenza vaccine. [42] Research also points to increased risks for miscarriage and ovarian failure in connection with the Gardasil and Gardasil 9 vaccines. [43] Gardasil and Gardasil 9 clinical trials showed high spontaneous miscarriage rates of 25% and 27.4% respectively—significantly higher than the background rates of approximately 10% – 15% in this reproductive age group. [44]
Vaccines require additional testing for their potential to cause autism.
The CDC asserts that “vaccines do not cause autism” and that “there is no link between vaccines and autism.” [45] Further, the media repeatedly reports that vaccines have been scientifically cleared of any role in causing autism. However, these assertions are thoroughly refuted by J.B. Handley’s book How to End the Autism Epidemic, published in 2018.
In Handley’s book, he reviews twenty-seven studies cited by the Autism Science Foundation which are generally relied upon as “proof” that vaccines don’t cause autism and explains that the studies researched only one vaccine, the MMR vaccine, and one vaccine ingredient, thimerosal, for a relationship to autism. [46] He also discusses significant flaws in the studies. [47] He additionally points out the lack of research analyzing the full childhood vaccine schedule for any possible relationship to autism. [48]
Handley’s book further reviews eleven groundbreaking scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals since 2004 which do indicate that vaccines have played a role in inducing autism in children. [49] The book also discusses the increased amount of aluminum U.S. children receive, noting that the amount has nearly quadrupled since the early 1990s as the result of increased vaccinations, and further notes that aluminum was included in childhood vaccines without having been safety tested in children. [50] Handley’s book also contains a detailed discussion of aluminum’s use in vaccines to intentionally hyper-stimulate the immune system and evidence that the aluminum is accumulating in children’s brains, triggering immune activation events implicated in autism. [51]
Additional evidence that aluminum in vaccines can cause autism is provided in the Informed Consent Action Network paper entitled “Autism and Aluminum Adjuvants in Vaccines How Aluminum Adjuvants in Vaccines Can Cause Autism” which was published on August 18, 2017. [52]
States should resist federal vaccine mandates which place decision-making regarding vaccines in the hands of bureaucrats.
As demonstrated by the above discussion, the scientific issues related to vaccines are highly complex and the safety of the CDC’s vaccines schedules has not been established. In light of this, it’s critical that individuals retain the right to make vaccination decisions based upon the advice of their chosen medical professionals rather than relinquishing this right to bureaucratic mandates. As we have seen with marijuana and industrial hemp, federal regulation becomes ineffective when states enact contradictory policies. If multiple states pass laws which preserve the public’s rights with respect to vaccinations, it will become difficult for the federal government to enforce future federal mandates.
Status of HB 1976
HB 1976 has been referred to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee where it will need to pass by a majority vote before moving forward.
NOTES
[1] https://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx
[2] https://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements/washington.aspx
[3] https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/Immunization/ExemptionLawChange
[4] https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/health/vaccine-exemptions-fda-gottlieb/index.html
[6] https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html
[7] https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/national-vaccine-plan/index.html
[8] https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/national-adult-immunization-plan/index.html
[9] https://thevaccinereaction.org/2018/02/european-countries-move-to-expand-enforce-vaccine-mandates/
[12] https://www.nvic.org/injury-compensation/nvic-position-on-1986-childhood-vaccine-injury-act.aspx
[14] https://www.nvic.org/cmstemplates/nvic/pdf/downloads/1983-2017-vaccine-schedules.pdf
[16] Moskowitz, Richard, Vaccines – A Reappraisal. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017. 241-242. Print.
[17] https://www.phrma.org/en/Media/New-Era-of-Medicine-Vaccines
[18] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/toxic-vaccine-ingredients-the-devils-in-the-details/
[20] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/countering-false-vaccine-safety-claims
[21] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/countering-false-vaccine-safety-claims/
[22] https://thehighwire.com/study-cdc-vaccine-schedule-likely-induces-aluminum-toxicity-in-newborns/
[23] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X19305784#bib0130
https://thehighwire.com/study-cdc-vaccine-schedule-likely-induces-aluminum-toxicity-in-newborns/
[24] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/25-reasons-to-avoid-the-gardasil-vaccine/
[25] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/vaccines-and-the-liberal-mind/
[26] Moskowitz, Richard, Vaccines – A Reappraisal. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017. 29-37. Print.
[27] Moskowitz, Richard, Vaccines – A Reappraisal. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017. 29-37. Print.
[28] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/25-reasons-to-avoid-the-gardasil-vaccine/
[31] https://www.oatext.com/pdf/JTS-3-186.pdf
[32] https://www.oatext.com/pdf/JTS-3-187.pdf
[33] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404712/
[34] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/vaccines-and-the-liberal-mind/
[35] Moskowitz, Richard, Vaccines – A Reappraisal. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017. 29-42. Print
[41] Cowan, Thomas, Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illnesses, White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. Print.
[43] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/25-reasons-to-avoid-the-gardasil-vaccine/
[44] https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/25-reasons-to-avoid-the-gardasil-vaccine/
[45] https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
[46] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 85-89. Print.
[47] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 88-93. Print.
[48] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 85-88. Print.
[49] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 141 – 169. Print.
[50] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 150-151. Print.
[51] Handley, J.B., How to End the Autism Epidemic. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018. 141-169. Print.
[52] https://www.icandecide.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ICAN-AluminumAdjuvant-Autism-2.pdf
Additional Resources
The websites below contain additional information regarding vaccines that you may find helpful.
- Children’s Health Defense. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/
- The HighWire with Del Bigtree. https://thehighwire.com/
- Informed Consent Action Network. https://www.icandecide.org/
- National Vaccine Information Center. https://www.nvic.org/
- Vaxxter. https://vaxxter.com/
- Kentucky Bill Would Bar Mandatory Vaccines - December 1, 2020
- COVID-19 an Early Warning for Vaccine Mandates - September 2, 2020
- South Dakota Bill Would End Mandatory Vaccinations for School, Push Back Against Federal Narrative - February 18, 2020