5/26/09 Update

Commentary on Vaccine Legislation by Bonnie P. Franz. (I apologize the delay in posting these notes from Bonnie.)

Dear Friends,

I thought you should have a vaccine update. Although the news covers a lot more, here are my highlights:

June 2, Monday at 10:30 a.m. in Albany at the Legislative Office Building, there will be a rally led by Rita de Palma - mykidsmychoice.com for more details. If you can go, do so. Otherwise, contact your lawmakers. The more they hear from us, one way or another, only helps. Unfortunately, other forces are at work to incorporate government and vaccination into our daily lives.

There is a new bill in the Assembly: A.03706, ordering a "pilot" program for school-based health clinics to give flu shots. This is understandable from the Public Health perspective; however, it makes the schools part of their network more so than now and makes it much more difficult for exemptors or dissidents. Schools might like it because the govt. will probably give them money for it.

Followup from March 24 rally: This one was sponsored by Autism United and was billed as the "first Autism Epidemic Day." Quoted in the Legislative Gazette article of March 30 on page 8 is Lisa Rudley, who was quoted "about vaccination choice in particular." The article gave about 3 paragraphs to her talking about vaccination choice and Assemblyman Alessi's bill for philosophical exemption (A.04886).

What would be helpful in the future is for the various groups to get together and pay for the "Special Reports" insert in the Legislative Gazette. When last I checked it cost about $5,000 for about 4 pages. A lot of vaccination information could be printed & distributed and make an impression on lawmakers and other readers of the Gazette that little article quotes cannot do. So, if any of you know a number of group leaders or coalitions that might be able to do this, give them a nudge; it is advertising money well worth it.

For those who are impressed by celebrity endorsements: Jennifer Lopez is a new spokesperson for the March of Dimes pushing for adult whooping cough shots. She also has begun a foundation.

$1 billion from the Stimulus bill is to go to Public Health for prevention and wellness efforts (that means vaccines) and President Obama is now asking for an additional $1.5 billion for swine flu in particular.

Keep up the good fight to educate yourself and others!

Bonnie P. Franz