WA DOH’s Vaccine Advisory Committee Meets November 3 & WA BOH Meets November 9.
Email your comments & attend the Zoom meetings!
Hello ICWA Action Members and Followers! Two opportunities to speak truth to power in WA are here!
ACIP (the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) recently recommended adding Covid shots to the CDC pediatric schedule, and that means it’s time to once again tell the relevant WA State agencies and officials that we do not want COVID shot mandates in our state.
WA Department of Health (DOH) Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) meets Thursday, November 3, 11:00-1:00. This committee makes vaccine recommendations to the BOH, so it is imperative that they understand the public does not want any liability-free COVID-19 products to be mandated for our kids.
Send your comment to the following VAC members as soon as you can: secretary@doh.wa.gov; TaoSheng.Kwan-Gett@doh.wa.gov; Jamilia.Sherls-Jones@doh.wa.gov; Heather.Drummond@doh.wa.gov. Do not wait. Copy your legislators. Tell your friends to do the same.
Register for the Zoom meeting and see the agenda HERE.
WA Board of Health (BOH) meets Wednesday, November 9. This 10 member board, hand-selected by Governor Inslee, is authorized by law to set “immunization requirements” for Washington’s daycare and K-12 children. They must go through a formal rule-making process that includes public comment. They have not yet begun that process, but they have expressly stated in the past that they intend to consider it. You don’t need to wait until they file a proposed rule — comment now.
Send your comments to the BOH via email to WSBOH@SBOH.WA.GOV
Register for the Zoom meeting and see agenda HERE.
Recall that BOH convened a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) last winter to consider whether to require Covid shots for Washington's school kids. Although TAG members sat through days of pro-vax presentations, they voted not to recommend the addition, citing in part the 40,000 opposition comments from the public. Our voices made a difference!
However, another reason TAG decided against the shots was that ACIP had not yet recommended them, which is one of BOH's considerations for adding new vaccine products. Therefore, we are one step closer to a school "mandate."
See ICWA’s COVID shot review of the BOH’s Criteria for adding vaccines to daycare and school requirements. (Since this was written, even more evidence has become available regarding lack of safety and effectiveness.)
Fortunately, Del Bigtree's ICAN and Aaron Siri will challenge any state mandates of COVID-19 vaccines for school attendance, but we must not let it come to that.
We need to roar even louder than last time. Be passionate and respectful, but be heard. The children of WA need us to Be Brave!
WE parents are responsible for the Health of our children, not the government.
When there’s a risk, there needs to be a choice. I do not support mandatory jabs.
My body, my choice.