CT Vaccine Newsletter

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Hello All-

Make sure to check out #2. We really can make a difference. Best

wishes and Happy New Year!

in CT

Connecticut Vaccine Newsletter 7- January 3, 2000

ACTION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY!!!

Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone! This newsletter will cover

three important developments that affect us in Connecticut. Please read

this immediately and take action with item number one immediately.

1. Action MUST be taken on this item by JANUARY 7, 2000. Representative

Blackwell of Manchester, CT has written a letter that will be

presented to the Public Health Committee. The letter requests a public

hearing on vaccine safety and, SPECIFICALLY, a philosophical exemption.

This letter is being circulated to create support by having as many

legislators sign on to the request for this public hearing.

Additionally, it introduces many legislators to our concerns and the

dilemma which many of us are forced to deal with, should we select to

not fully vaccinate our children. We continue to request a

philosophical exemption so those parents/families or individuals who

feel strongly about not getting a certain vaccine can still have the

option to get a different one, should they choose. With the religious

exemption, one is locked into getting ALL the vaccines or getting NONE.

Therefore, it is VITALLY necessary that you contact your legislators,

both Representative and Senator, and request that they support Rep.

Blackwell. Specifically ask your legislators " to co-sign the letter

about a philosophical exemption for vaccines being circulated by Rep.

Blackwell. " If your legislator needs another copy, they can

contact Rep. Blackwell's legislative office at 240-8700. You can find

your Representative by calling the House Clerk's Office at

860-240-0400. You can find your Senator by calling the Senate Clerk's

Office at 860-240-0500. Additionally, you can look up your legislator

via the internet. To leave an e-mail or find contact information for

your Senator or Representative please visit the Connecticut Legislature

site at http://www.cga.state.ct.us/ All legislators must be contacted

by Friday, January 7, 2000 if they want to sign the letter. It will

take just 5 minutes to make the call. PLEASE CALL and ask others to do

the same!!!

2. Regulations Review Committee decision. The Regulations Review

Committee voted on Tuesday, December 21, 1999 on the chickenpox,

Hepatitis B and additional dose of 'measles-containing' vaccines (MMR).

I would like to thank all of you who helped by collecting signatures,

writing letters or e-mails and calling. It is clear we were heard, at

some level. Nearly 440 signatures were presented to the Regulations

Review Committee members.

According to Ms. Pamela Booth, the Regulations Review Committee

secretary, the regulation for School Related Immunizations (Regulation

99-094) was REJECTED. This regulation would have mandated the Hepatitis

B and chickenpox vaccine for 7th graders. It would have required the

chickenpox vaccine for children born after January 1, 1997 entering

school and would have required an additional dose of measles vaccine for

school entry.

The regulation for Immunization Requirements for Family Day Care Homes,

Child Day Care Centers and Group Day Care Homes (Regulation 99-093) was

PASSED. This was the regulation that was essentially a two-edged

sword. It mandates the chickenpox vaccine for those children in day

care who were born on or after January 1, 1997. By passing this

regulation, the Regulation Review Committee has now extended the

Religious Exemption to children in day care. Previously, if a family

wanted to claim a religious exemption for their child attending day

care, they were required to have " affirmation of church membership by an

appropriate church authority. " This requirement is no longer needed.

If one wants to claim a religious exemption for their child attending a

day care one simply must submit a written statement saying that

'immunization is contrary to the religious beliefs and practices of the

child or the parent of such child. Such statement shall be signed by

the child's parent. " (Section 19a-87b-10 K-3-e of Connecticut

Statutes) It is recommended that both parents sign the religious

exemption so that the beliefs of one parent would not be questioned in

the case of a parent dying or divorce. This is not required, just

simply a recommendation based on situations that arose when a parent

died or the parents divorced.

You may be confused regarding the wording of the chickenpox vaccine and

the same date referred to for the two regulations. This is what it

essentially means. If you do not send your child to daycare then

chickenpox is NOT required to enter school. Chickenpox vaccine is ONLY

required to enter daycare. If you do send your child to daycare you may

now claim a religious exemption with out getting harassed by simply

writing that it violates your religious beliefs. If one wants to send

their child to daycare and claim a religious exemption, even though

their child has been fully vaccinated, it is worth noting that the

chickenpox vaccine originated with aborted fetus cells, which for many

violates their religious beliefs. This is one of the only vaccines in

which the religious exemption could possibly be used even though the

other vaccines may have been received. (Rubella also originated with

aborted fetus cells.)

3. News Update on the LYME vaccine. For those considering the Lyme

vaccine here is some vital news. On December 14, 1999 in West Chester,

PA according to Mealey Publications and PRNewswire, a lawsuit was filed

against the Kline Beecham for the Lyme vaccine. The company press

release sited the report in 'Mealey's Litigation Report: Drug and

Medical Devices'. The complaint alleges that " Kline Beecham,

manufacturers of the widely touted LYMErix vaccine, failed to warn

doctors and the general public that nearly 30 percent of the population

was pre-disposed to a degenerative autoimmune syndrome, which the

lawsuit says is triggered by contents in the inoculation. " " According

to the class action, Kline (SBH) used high concentrations of a

surface protein called OspA as the foundation for its vaccine. When

bitten by a lyme infected parasite, humans are not exposed to OspA

protein. The levels of OspA that enter the bloodstream at any phase of

the three-dose LYMErix vaccine, however, place patients classified by

genetic type HLA-DR4+ at risk of developing a condition referred to as

'treatment-resistant' Lyme Arthritis, the lawsuit says. " The lawsuit

complaint continues with the fact that the relationship between OspA and

Lyme Arthritis is 'well-documented' and that Kline did not

disseminate this information to doctors in the promotional literature.

Apparently, 1/3 of the general population is HLA-DR4+ which increases

the risk for this form of arthritis. HLA-DR4+ can easily be detected

through a routine blood test but Kline never recommended that

doctors perform this type of screening. Additionally, the class action

lawsuit claims that Kline never told doctors and the general public

that 'periodic booster shots beyond the series of three vaccinations

would be necessary to maintain immunity to the disease. " If you would

like further information on this lawsuit you may contact 1-800-MEALEYS

or see part of the article via their web site at

http://www.mealeys.com/news_3.html#DMD You may also select to contact

the company via e-mail at news@...

Sincerely,

F. Reiss

P.O. Box 161

Manchester, CT 06045

Voice Mail 860-493-9147 @...

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We Must Have The Freedom To Choose & Respect Everyone's Choice

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Any information obtained here is not to be construed as medical OR legal

advice. The decision to vaccinate and how you implement that decision is

yours and yours alone.

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@...

***************************************************************

We Must Have The Freedom To Choose & Respect Everyone's Choice

***************************************************************

Any information obtained here is not to be construed as medical

OR legal advice. The decision to vaccinate and how you

implement that decision is yours and yours alone.