NVIC’s Advocacy Portal 2011 Recap and 2012 Expectations

In its debut legislative session to expand and protect the right to informed consent, NVIC’s Advocacy Portal (NVICAP) now has about 20,000 consumers from all 50 states working to protect and expand vaccine exemption. 

The portal was launched as a free public service program of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) in response to the increasingly aggressive actions of the government and medical and pharmaceutical industries to require more vaccines while simultaneously attempting to restrict the use of conscientious or philosophical, religious, and medical exemptions to mandatory vaccination laws. 

In 2011, we saw the most aggressive attempts to restrict informed consent to vaccination that we have ever seen. In response, our volunteer state directors used the NVICAP to track 61 bills in 25 states that affect informed consent to vaccination, provide support for bills filed to add conscientious or philosophical exemptions in six states, and to issue more than 70 bill status announcements and action alerts to NVIC Advocacy Portal users in 18 states.

 

In six states, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia, bills were filed to expand exemptions to allow parents the ability decline vaccines for school entry.  In Connecticut and Montana bills were filed to expand exemptions for daycare.  While none of these bills were passed due to heavy resistance by forced vaccination proponents, there have never been this many states seeking to expand vaccine exemptions at one time.  This demonstrates Americans’ desire for vaccine freedom. 

Some defensive successes included actions taken by NVICAP members in Wyoming that stopped a meningitis vaccine mandate, member efforts in Texas killed a bill designed change the vaccine tracking registry from opt-in to opt-out, and our Colorado members stopped a pre-emptive attempt to limit vaccine exemptions by rule.

 

NVIC advocacy team members were supported by NVIC’s Advocacy Portal in a major fight against a bill limiting the personal belief exemption in Washington by requiring a health care practitioner signature on the exemption form. We were able to help recruit and coach more than 90 families to attend the hearing and register against the bill. While we were unable to stop the bill, the pressure created by these grassroots efforts changed the language of the final bill and increased the number of our Washington advocates to over 1,000. 

In California we waged a battle against HPV vaccines for minors without parental consent and gained over 2,000 new members and 2 new directors leaving us better prepared in that state with an infrastructure of informed and committed members.

 

Portal members enjoy easy access to their elected officials with direct links that connect our members to their legislators. Personalized member pages display their state team page and current legislative action alerts and bills to watch.  By coupling easy step-by-step action items along with easy access to elected officials, our members are empowered and encouraged to become involved in the process and make a difference.
 

In 2012, our members can expect even more aggressive actions against our rights than in 2011.  We expect even more legislative attempts to restrict or remove existing vaccine exemptions, more vaccine mandates for school children, and expanded government vaccine tracking.  We also expect more attempts to pass laws supporting sanctions and job termination against employees for refusing vaccination.
 

Legislative sessions are starting around the country, and we are starting 2012 with our feet running. Below are bills that we are already tracking and alerting our readers to take action on so that they can defend their informed consent rights.
 

 

 

 

State	Date Posted	Title
FL	1/12/2012	Oppose SB1116 and HB1051 which push HPV vaccine on FL 6th graders
KS	1/13/2012	Contact HHS Committee Members to Support Conscientious Exemption Bill HB 2094
NJ	1/13/2012	Calls needed to the Governor ASAP – VETO A3920/S2984
VT	1/16/2012	Oppose, H527, a bill to ELIMINATE philosophical exemptions in Vermont
VT	1/13/2012	Oppose S 199, a bill to ELIMINATE philosophical exemptions

 
 

 

State	Bill Number	Position	Title
AK	SB 144	WATCH	Temporarily reinstates child and adult immunization program
AZ	HB 2383	SUPPORT	Prohibits vaccination as a condition of admission to college in Arizona
FL	SB 1116	OPPOSE	HPV vaccine to be added to Dept. of Health Recommendations
FL	HB 1051	OPPOSE	HPV Vaccine to be added to the Dept. of Health Recommendations
IN	SB 223	WATCH	A bill concerning changes to the Indiana Immunization Registry
KS	HB 2094	SUPPORT	Adds Conscientious Exemption to State-Mandated Immunizations
NC	HB 347	OPPOSE	Requires physicians to notify parent/guardian of minor 12 years or younger after treatment given
NJ	A1829	OPPOSE	Makes obtaining religious exemption more cumbersome
NJ	A920	SUPPORT	Hepatitis B vaccine Exemption
NJ	A1368	SUPPORT	Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations
NJ	A415	SUPPORT	Eliminates use of vaccines containing mercury over three years
NY	A8231/S5069B	OPPOSE	Turns schools into Meningitis Vaccine Marketers
NY	A00593	SUPPORT	Extends the protections of the medical exemption from mandatory immunizations
SC	H 4497	OPPOSE	Bill to offer HPV Vaccine to 7th graders
VA	HB 824	SUPPORT	Requires the Commonwealth of VA to assume all liability for injury caused by HPV Vaccine
VA	HB 829	OPPOSE	Concerns the Virginia Immunization Information System
VA	HB 65	SUPPORT	Removes HPV Vaccine from school vaccine requirements
VT	H 527	OPPOSE	ELIMINATES philosophical exemptions in Vermont
VT	S 199	OPPOSE	ELIMINATES Philosophical Exemption in Vermont
WV	SB 50	SUPPORT	Adds Conscientious and Religious Exemptions to the state of West Virginia