Legislators have the professional and moral obligation to protect children and support equality, but Senate Bill 2761 by Sen. Richard Pan, which would eliminate almost all vaccine medical exemptions, aims to segregate a minority of children from their right to an education. And even worse, for families who can’t afford homeschooling, SB 276 puts these vulnerable children at higher risk for repeat vaccine adverse events. As a pediatric intensive care nurse for 13 years, I believe in vaccinations and understand the desire for community immunity, but I have also observed many vaccine adverse events that shouldn’t be ignored any longer.
I administered vaccines without hesitation until a previously healthy teen came into our unit with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)—brain swelling—after receiving the meningococcal vaccine earlier that week. The teen was paralyzed, in a coma, and had to be placed on a ventilator in the ICU for weeks. When I shared with the treating physician that ADEM was listed as a possible reaction to the meningococcal vaccine and asked whether we should report this to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), I was told a firm “NO” without further discussion. Three weeks later, the teen left our unit still unable to walk or talk, and there was no discussion of the possible cause or the recent vaccination.
After that, I began to notice that most doctors never asked if a new patient was recently vaccinated, despite the child’s diagnosis being listed as a possible adverse event on the vaccine insert. And if I informed the doctor that a parent mentioned their child was recently vaccinated, it was most often ignored. I have seen dozens of cases of seizures, SIDS, paralysis, diabetes, or immune system dysfunction following vaccination, yet I have only seen one report made to VAERS. It begs the question: why are these vaccine adverse events not being acknowledged or reported?
SB 2762 will herd children who were unlucky enough to suffer a vaccine reaction, but lucky enough to have a doctor acknowledge it, into a database where the state will be able to track them, freely violate their rights, and kick them out of school.
Medical professionals agree that all pharmaceuticals carry potential risks. Just as there is a small percentage of children who are allergic to penicillin, there is a percentage of children who have serious reactions after vaccination. SB 276 proponents claim only “1 in a million” reactions, but that’s referring to anaphylactic reactions, not reactions like seizures and paralysis.
Currently, in California, only less than one percent of children have vaccine medical exemptions because of a previous adverse event or family history which puts the child or sibling at risk. Under SB 276,1 as it’s currently written, there would be a narrow scope of “approved” reactions—anaphylaxis and encephalopathy—and even if a child experienced those, there is no clause for family history so siblings would have to be vaccinated as well. I can’t imagine the decision these parents will have to make, being coerced into risking repeat injury or death, just to keep their children in school.
Physicians are bound to their Hippocratic Oath to “First, do no harm,” but government officials do not carry any liability for injury or harm, nor do pharmaceutical companies since the 1986 National Childhood Vaccination Injury Act protects them. SB 2763 would be a liability-free, government-mandated system that harms these vulnerable children again.
As a nurse, I understand the desire to maintain community immunity. In 2018, the CDC reported that California has immunization rates above 96 percent for its school children, one of the highest rates in the nation. The California Department of Public Health reported 15 pediatric measles cases this year, not one related to school children with medical exemptions.
Yet SB 2764 would systematically discriminate against these children with special needs, their rights to privacy, and their free and equal education would be eliminated.
Is this discrimination of less than one percent of children with medical exemptions really a public health crisis and worth the $40 million it will cost taxpayers? The government should be focused on legitimate public health issues, like the Typhus, Typhoid Fever and TB outbreaks among our growing homeless population, rather than this minority of injured children.
This article was reprinted with the author’s permission. It was originally published by the California Globe. Leah Balecha is a pediatric intensive care nurse in Southern California.
Note: This commentary provides referenced information and perspective on a topic related to vaccine science, policy, law or ethics being discussed in public forums and by U.S. lawmakers. The websites of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide information and perspective of federal agencies responsible for vaccine research, development, regulation and policymaking.
References:1 Grimes K. The ‘Right To Choose’ Does not Apply to Childhood Vaccinations Under Senate Bill 276. California Globe June 21, 2019.
2 Holland M. SB 276 Will Violate the Doctor-Patient Relationship by Eliminating Medical Exemptions. California Globe Aug. 26, 2019.
3 Grimes K. Protests and Near-Arrests in Assembly Appropriations When SB 276 is Passed on Party Lines Ahead of Hearing. California Globe Aug. 30, 2019.
4 Grimes K. California’s ‘Brave New World:’ Gov. Newsom ‘Inclined’ to Back Mandatory School Vaccine Bill. California Globe Aug. 9, 2019.
12 Responses
I think the number 1 reason is fear of being WAKEFIELDED.
2nd Reason: Cognitive Dissonance. They blow off parents concerns because vaccine adverse reactions goes against the myth pounded into their being-vaccine are safe. The mantra vaccines are safe and effective has been programmed into their DNA like a virus and there is no vaccine they can take to IMMUNIZE themselves.
3rd Reason: MONEY. Most Drs are probably up to the eyeballs in debt from medical school and money in their pocket is more important than their oath to do no harm.
4th Reason: They don’t acknowledge or report vaccine adverse reactions or any vaccine reaction small or large is ecause they don’t see them. They don’t want to see it. To see it they would have to actively look for it. The saying is-you won’t find what you aren’t looking for.
5th Reason: Those whom would be employed in the medical field whom object to vaccinations are not allowed to participate in the workforce, as educational communities discriminate against medical students and whom do not want to be vaccinated.
“As a nurse, I understand the desire to maintain community immunity.”
There is no such thing as community immunity aka vaccine created herd immunity.
-The theory of Herd Immunity was created on the basis of an observation done by a researcher named A.W. Hedrich in 1900-1931. He had been studying measles patterns in the US between 1900-1931 (years before any vaccine was ever invented for measles) and he observed that epidemics of the illness only occurred when less than 68% of children had developed a NATURAL immunity to an ENDEMIC illness. This was based upon the principle that children build their own immunity after experiencing or being exposed to the illness. So the Herd Immunity theory was, in fact, about NATURAL ENDEMIC ILLNESS PROCESSES and nothing to do with vaccination. VACCINES-were not part of the observation. If 68% of the population were allowed to build their own natural defenses, there would be no raging epidemic according to the theory.
-Later on, vaccinologists adopted the phrase and increased the figure from 68% to 95% with no scientific justification as to why, and then stated that there had to be 95% vaccine coverage to achieve immunity. Essentially, they took Hedrich’s observation and manipulated it to promote their vaccination program.
(MONTHLY ESTIMATES OF THE CHILD POPULATION “SUSCEPTIBLE’ TO MEASLES, 1900-1931, BALTIMORE, MD, AW HEDRICH, American Journal of Epidemiology, May 1933 – Oxford University Press). Full Text (PDF).
95-100% vaccination rate will not make a difference in protecting anyone and may even cause more harm.
“Why is China Having Measles Outbreaks When 99% Are Vaccinated?”, China has one of the most vaccination compliant populations in the world. In fact, measles vaccine is mandatory. So why have they had over 700 measles outbreaks from 2009 and 2012 alone? The obvious answer is the measles vaccines are simply not as effective as advertised, and are becoming even less so over time.
“The reported coverage of the measles-rubella (MR) or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is greater than 99.0% in Zhejiang province. However, the incidence of measles, mumps, and rubella remains high.”
“Difficulties in eliminating measles and controlling rubella and mumps: a cross-sectional study of a first measles and rubella vaccination and a second measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination,”-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3930734/
A new study sheds light on just how dismally incorrect is the much parroted statement “measles vaccines are highly effective.” “Despite increasing global measles vaccination coverage, progress toward measles elimination has slowed in recent years. In China, children receive a measles-containing vaccine (MCV) at 8 months, 18– 24 months, and some urban areas offer a third dose at age 4–6 years. However, substantial measles cases in Tianjin, China, occur among individuals who have received multiple MCV doses.”
“Assessing measles vaccine failure in Tianjin, China,”
http://sci-hub.tw/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31078327
The study reveals that vaccination coverage is as high as 97% for the 1st and 2nd dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV). The clear failure of the measles vaccine to generate herd immunity has caused major concern among public health officials in China.
Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective. Children may also get MMRV vaccine, which protects against, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox)
Measles | Vaccination | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccination.html
Herd Immunity is a allegory-nothing more.
Thank you for sharing this data Redpill!
The title of this article is such a great question. I know of two instances where nothing was reported after a reaction. The first was after my grandma was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome after a flu shot (half of her body was paralyzed and she became unbelievably sick). One of the first questions asked by the doctors at the hospital was if she’d had a flu shot recently- that’s as far as that went. She was hospitalized and put into a nursing home for four months or so. She made a miraculous recovery and eventually went home but was weakened and had to use a cane to walk for the remainder of her life. At the time, I had never even heard of VAERS.
The second incident I witnessed was when a thirteen month old child I knew personally received his one year shots. He was put down for a nap later in the day and when he was checked on, he wasn’t breathing. He was brain dead by that evening and passed away the following day. The death was labeled a SIDS death (mind you, this child was over a year old). No one even questioned whether his vaccinations played a role in his death. Sickening. This child had been perfectly healthy up until that day. To not even question it is what continues to disturb me. I decided not to vaccinate my own children once I realized that adverse reactions were generally not reported. The ones that are must be a tiny fraction. The “one in a million” saying that people like to throw around is grossly inaccurate.
Thank you Leah, for your bravery in writing this article. I can’t imagine what you risk by speaking out like that. I’d love to know just how many other nurses have experiences similar to yours. Sadly, we’ll never know. After experiencing a lot of backlash (from personal friends, no less) I’ve decided to keep my opinions on vaccinations (and the fact that my children are not vaccinated) a secret. It’s not worth the ridicule, stigma, and isolation it appears to cause.
Leah, thank you for writing this article. Advocated need to be reminded of why we share the truth about vaccine risk and health freedom choice. Informed consent isn’t happening at the doctor’s office nor do most doctors understand a vaccine injury other than a typical fever, swelling, or fussiness. It goes way beyond that and even death. It’s time to take back CA and not let this happen in other states. Bless you, Leah!
Leah, thank you for writing this article. Advocated need to be reminded of why we share the truth about vaccine risk and health freedom choice. Informed consent isn’t happening at the doctor’s office nor do most doctors understand a vaccine injury other than a typical fever, swelling, or fussiness. It goes way beyond that and even death. It’s time to take back CA and not let this happen in other states. Bless you, Leah!
Doctors don’t report anything because they don’t have to. Heavenly days, vaccinations are not even safety tested so why would they have to “report” anything on something as specious as these things??!! I wouldn’t get a vax if you paid me and I’m glad my kids are older now and don’t have to deal with this crap. I don’t care what they do with their own kids because no one listens to common sense anymore, but we’ve tried to tell them vax are not safe. Just try to explain that to a daughter=in-law whose mother is a nurse – – she thinks vax are a religious experience……….it’s sad.
“I have seen dozens of cases of seizures, SIDS, paralysis, diabetes, or immune system dysfunction following vaccination, yet I have only seen one report made to VAERS. It begs the question: why are these vaccine adverse events not being acknowledged or reported?”
FOLLOW THE MONEY…
Aquí en México igualmente se aplican infinidad de vacunas Si pretexto del cuidado preventivo de salud infantil , por mi parte llegó a mis manos un libro de : El Ingeniero Guillermo Mosqueira donde habla de las vacunas y su no efectividad. Y menciona que la mejor prevención es no consumir alimentos refinados y mucho menos azucarados , yo hice caso de ello con mis hijos ya ahora adultos ,y no se les vacuno .les dió un ligero sarampión del cual salieron sin medicamentos . Únicamente llevando dieta saludable recomendada en el libro La medicina al alcance de todos . Ahora abuela de 8 nietos tampoco se les ha impuesto estos químicos . Saludos y ojalá perdamos el miedo y llevemos a cabo cambios sensatos en nuestro diario vivir .
Redpill – well written and well-said. The vaccine lobby relies so heavily on statements that aren’t accurate.
VACCINES SAVE LIVES
Yes, in some cases we could say that but in others it’s obvious from your comments and the data that measles vaccines may have taken more lives than it saved.
But we’re trying to fight GODZILLA with data and science. I haven’t watched all the SCIFI movies but those I have watched the good guys never win using truth and science.
They have a huge machine, billions to spend, the media, captive agencies, even our administration…the only thing they don’t seem to have is “the people” and most of “the people” are hoping it will just going away, or thinking it doesn’t really affect them directly – yet.
There are hundreds of new vaccines in the development pipeline with a promise of immunity from prosecution and a track record of legally mandated vaccines. All they need is a case for heard immunity on flu vaccine and a mandate for seniors over 60, and the plan will be complete – make that evil little laugh that the emperor made when the death star was complete and Darth Vader was about to kill Luke. He said, “Oh no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things.” Sorry if I demean myself but vaccines are the death star – a machine designed to trample the resistance and not yet complete.
One other vaccine side effect rarely reported: death. Dead kids tell no tales.