Was CT DPH Commissioner Strongarmed into Removal of Religious Vaccine Exemption?
A message from our friends at HealthChoice Connecticut:
Was the DPH Commissioner strong armed into supporting a draconian push to create an unnecessary solution to an imaginary problem?
On Monday September 16, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont and DPH Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell held a press conference to announce their support for the removal of Connecticut’s long-standing religious exemption to school immunization requirements. Recently, Coleman-Mitchell was quoted as saying, “I am not able, nor should I weigh in on anything that’s public legislation that comes about as a result of any of the work we do. That’s not in the purview of my role.” A month before, in a prepared statement to the CT Mirror, she stated, “In Connecticut, we have only had three measles cases so far in 2019 and the last case was in April. Given that we have not had any further measles cases since April and because the immunization rate for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines in Connecticut remains above 95 percent statewide, we will not be releasing immunization rates by school for the 2018-2019 school year at this time.”
Though she was subsequently overruled by the governor to release this data, this clearly shows she was not concerned about a public health crisis, because one does not exist. Health Choice CT asks Coleman-Mitchell and Governor Lamont how CT went from the Commissioner seeing no need to release data, to the state demanding the removal of healthy kids from school by eliminating the religious exemption from vaccines.
The alleged 25% increase in religious exemption rates has not been verified, and while it sounds like a lot, 25% of a very small number is still a very small number. CT boasts one of the highest vaccination rates in the country and has for the past several years. The unnecessary and illegal release of school level data was a political move to create a non-existent crisis. To so flippantly strip children’s rights to attend school due to their religious beliefs is appalling, and the idea that healthy kids pose a threat to others is wildly misguided. Unvaccinated children cannot spread an illness they do not have. Are the medically unvaccinated an equal risk? Or does the threat only arise when a child is exempt for religious reasons? And what about the adults in our school who are not up to date on their vaccines?
In fact, several live vaccines are known to potentially shed from those who have recently received them, and others (DTaP) are known to prevent only symptoms, leaving the recipient contagious, putting those around them at risk. The state is not asking the recently vaccinated children to remain at home for a period of time despite the fact that they are the largest threat to the immunocompromised children around them.
We stand with the Connecticut General Assembly Conservative Caucus and would like to reiterate what they stated in their press release dated September 17, 2019, "Not only is the Governor advocating a policy which lacks any legal foundation, his position has no foundation in public health. By calling to repeal the religious exemption, the Governor is again substituting his own politics for sound public health policy and the rule of law. We believe the Governor is abusing his authority in order to advance a political agenda which has absolutely nothing to do with public health."
This is not just the removal of religious and educational rights, it is the removal of the right to informed consent. It is coercion to force liability free pharmaceutical products, and it is absolutely discrimination. We are calling on all legislators and citizens to stand up against this unnecessary and misguided political play.
Health Choice CT (HCCT) is a grassroots non-profit organization with members throughout the state. We are a community who believes people have a fundamental right to make informed health decisions for themselves and their families. As such, we protect families’ rights to informed health choices. We also protect our religious freedoms.
Since 2015, Health Choice CT has opposed numerous bills aimed at restricting the right to informed consent and privacy as well as expanding state mandates.
Local Media Contact: Gabrielle Sellari, Health Choice CT Email: [email protected]
I guess Hans if you have money in this country -- you can do anything including buying legislators and thus laws and government bills.
Who knew? A lot of people, just not mean that thought -- Oh well.
Did you hear that Maine has way more than enough signatures to put this on the ballot? Requires 65,000 and they got 77,000!
Now if they don't word it so strange --to throw the voter ---
Posted by: Benedetta | September 21, 2019 at 09:28 AM
Jeremy R. Hammond has beautifully deconstructed Jacobsen vs. Massachusetts. Worth a read.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | September 20, 2019 at 07:40 PM
DPH Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell was most certainly strong-armed into submission and into making her latest statement in favor of removing the religious exemption. The question is who applied that strong-arm to her to make her alter her statement so significantly and materially, when clearly she had not wanted to do so, previously? It's shameful, horrible, and intolerable. It's as dirty as it gets. Industry's needs placed high above the needs of the people of Connecticut to remain pure of body and blood. Shame on her and shame on Gov. Ned Lamont, too. Is Pharma planning to open some new vaccine production plants in Connecticut, now, too? Just like in New York? Ca-ching! Ca-ching! Can you hear the money move around? I sure can.
Posted by: The Original Someone #1 | September 20, 2019 at 01:19 PM
In the letter she wrote to the Senate and House leaders, she noted:
"In 1959, the Connecticut General Assembly included the religious exemption in Public Act No 588 "An Act Requiring poliomyelitis Vaccinations for each Public School Child", even though Connecticut and many other states were in the middle of an epidemic."
Then she uses the excuse of "vaccine hesitancy", a propaganda term (code for adverse risk awareness) as justification.
What a trite and debilitated illogic to violate the most basic of citizen rights, the right to bodily integrity and religious freedom.
No wonder they didn't want the public admitted to the press conference; when you are abusing the intelligence of the public, its best to only allow a captured audience.
Posted by: greyone | September 20, 2019 at 08:15 AM
"And what about the adults in our school who are not up to date on their vaccines?"
BINGO!!!! Goals 2020 fully intends to have full COMPLIANCE OF ADULTS with recommended schedule of vaccines .. once all "exemptions" for children are removed .. it will be time for ADULTS TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES.
Eerily reminiscent of famous quote by Martin Niemoller in Nazi Germany comes to mind:
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Once all exemptions are removed .. who will be left to speak for adults?
Posted by: Bob Moffit | September 20, 2019 at 07:12 AM
The MMR is an illegal vaccine. The MMR is a fake !
https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/documents/Merck-False-Claims-Act.pdf
No one should be taking it.
Where are the so called lawyers on our side ?
We should be able to drive a coach and horses through these mandates ?
Can somebody explain the difficulty to me ?
Posted by: Hans Litten | September 20, 2019 at 06:32 AM