October 20, 2022- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) unanimously passed the addition of COVID-19 vaccination to the childhood schedule. What does this mean? This means that the CDC is recommending the COVID-19 vaccination for all children 6 months and older per the childhood immunization schedule. The CDC is the reigning authority on vaccination and childhood immunizations in the United States and the schedule they release is considered “standard of care.” Typically, when the CDC makes changes to the schedule, states follow the recommendations and physician’s offices begin using the new “standard of care.” You may begin to see these vaccines offered at routine visits and even given at the same time as “routine” vaccinations without much notice by some providers. This does NOT mean it has been added to the vaccinations “required” for those who do not use a religious exemption in Indiana. More on this below. The addition to the childhood schedule permanently removes manufacturer liability for injuries incurred as the result of vaccination. All vaccinations on the childhood immunization schedule are exempt from liability. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Parents call the shots, and you deserve to know what is on that tray! Just because a vaccine is recommended by the CDC or even “required” for school doesn’t mean that there is no other option. Indiana students have the right to a religious exemption. Read more on exemptions here. Some parents accept some vaccinations and decline others. If your child receives any vaccinations, you should be getting informed consent BEFORE the vaccines are drawn up or administered. Most offices don’t do this. Informed consent consists of the vaccination name, illness it is to prevent, risks of the illness, risks of the vaccination, benefits of the vaccination, and alternatives to the vaccination. In addition to informed consent, you should be receiving the “Vaccine Information Statement” from the CDC PRIOR to the vaccination. This is a legal requirement. If your child is scheduled for a well visit, address which vaccinations your child is scheduled for as well as any concerns before the doctor or nurse leaves the room to get vaccines. Once the nurse returns, ask specifically for the syringes to be reviewed by name prior to administering. This second review gives you the opportunity to verify what your child is getting and that you consent to the vaccination. You have the right to ask questions, delay, or decline any vaccination even if it is drawn up. Unfortunately, many Hoosiers are not aware that they have the right to decline any medical treatment or procedure. We need to help educate our friends and neighbors to seek out informed consent and a risk benefit analysis. Check out our resources here. Tell parents to be mindful and ASK what vaccines are due before the nurse administers or even draws them up. Encourage them to discuss the risks and benefits of both natural infection and vaccination for their child for each vaccination. Be informed on the issue. Each state governs their own requirements for schools. During the ACIP meeting, participants of the meeting were quick to point out that ACIP and the CDC are not in control of the vaccination requirements for schools. Those familiar with the process know that the state health officials and legislatures typically follow the advice of ACIP & the CDC. The requirement for school children has not been determined by Indiana. Local journalist Margaret Menge recently wrote that the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) said they would not be making a requirement for Indiana Students in an email response. While we appreciate that a response was sent to Ms. Menge, the state has not addressed this in an official capacity on their website or on social media. The state has not had a great track record protecting its citizens against mandatory covid vaccinations. Much like doctors’ offices it is typical to follow the “standard of care” set forth by the CDC. It is important to let the health department know Hoosiers do not want this mandated for school children who haven’t claimed a religious exemption. It is also important to note that in the event that the state does require the covid vaccine for school children, public school children have a right to religious exemption for all vaccines including Covid-19. Indiana state code 20-34-4-2 requires vaccination of school children, who do not claim a religious exemption, to be vaccinated for diphtheria; pertussis (whooping cough); tetanus; measles; rubella; poliomyelitis; mumps; varicella; hepatitis A; hepatitis B; and meningitis. Indiana Code 20-34-3-2 provides religious exemptions for vaccinations. For a student to claim a religious exemption a parent or guardian must submit a written statement of religious objection. Nothing more is required by law. Learn more about your right to a religious exemption here. In light of Medical information warranting a change in the name of public health the IDOH may expand or modify the list of required vaccinations for students who do not claim a religious exemption. Basically, when the CDC and ACIP change the schedule, so can the IDOH. If a spike of cases occurs, they could change the requirements. By law the IDOH is required to submit a 2 year calendar each year on November 30th. In the case of an emergency the deadline for reporting does not apply. According to this law the requirements may be changed at any time. That means that even though the State Department of Health is not currently planning to require it for school children, it doesn’t mean that they can’t or won’t change their mind. Acting quickly to work against the COVID-19 vaccination being added to the immunizations required for those who do not use a religious exemption is key! Hoosiers need to step up and help provide information for our unsuspecting neighbors and family members. Conversations don’t have to be difficult. Our call to action. Make calls to the State Board of Health, State Legislators, and County Commissioners. You might be wondering why the county commissioners are included. We have talked about the Governor’s Public Health Commission for the past several months and how the state is wanting to “centralize” or “regionalize” Indiana’s public health agencies. Is it a good idea to hand over power to the CDC? Orders will be passed from the CDC to the state and the counties will be forced to comply. This issue alone deserves its own call to action, but with the pressing news about ACIP adding the COVID vaccine to the childhood schedule we are combining these. The Governor’s Public Health Commission met over the course of several months making recommendations with the goal to develop "regionalized, equitable, and sustainable public health.” Want more info? Need talking points? Click here. These recommendations will be reviewed by the governor and then addressed in the 2023 legislative session. A plan to coerce and extort... The June 2022 meeting of the Public Health Commission revealed the frightening plan to eliminate local control and the ability for the counties to opt out of mandates dictated by the state or CDC. The meeting is nearly 2 hours long but we have made very telling videos summarizing their plans that can be seen on our website. Ready to take action?!? Read below or text to get the script. -- 260-286-0988 the word: ACIP **When texting H4ML do not send more than one command at a time. Only use the specified letters or numbers. Do not use any punctuation or emoji. If you do not follow these instructions you may not receive the requested information, or it may be delayed. You may also want to save our number so you can find us in the future and don’t mistake us for spam. ** Indiana Department of Health 317-233-1325 Tell them: “ACIP added covid vaccines to the childhood schedule & Hoosiers object! Do not add COVID 19 vaccinations to the required schedule. Your State Rep & State Senator. Don't know who they are? TEXT 260-286-0988 the word: FIND Tell them: “ACIP added the Covid vaccines to the childhood schedule & Hoosiers object, we notified the IDOH! Hoosiers also have concerns over the impact of the Governor’s Public Health Commission on the local ability to control public Health directives. We expect counties to maintain autonomy & your votes to reflect that in 2023.” County Commissioners. Get their numbers text 260-286-0988 the name of your county, like: Allen County or St Joseph County Tell them: “Hoosiers have concerns over the impact of the Gov’s Public Health Commission on county autonomy. Counties are being offered funding in return for compliance with regionalization of public health. We elected elected you to ensure local accountability.” If they have questions direct them to our website h4ml.org/PublicHealthVideos You can download educational guides with more talking points here. INFORM OTHERS When we heard that ACIP would be voting we knew the Covid vaccine would be added to the childhood schedule.
You might be wondering why we asked you to comment if we knew it was going to pass. The answer is simple, we are still accountable for our actions. If at any point we sit by and let these things happen “to us,” we become VICTIMS. We are not victims. We know the risk, so we do things differently and we must fight for those who don’t know any different than to follow based on trust alone. At this point, one of the most important things for us to do is share this information with others. We must give them the opportunity to have informed consent. You can download and print our Informed Consent Guide and share it with friends and family. Need to start the conversation first? Start by asking a basic question. “Did you know ACIP added the COVID vaccine to the childhood vaccine schedule?” Acknowledge their answer, and continue the conversation as it feels natural. Remember, our goal is not to change anyone's mind but to aid them in obtaining informed consent. You are a powerful agent of change in Medical Liberty. Thank you for contributing to the mission. In Liberty, Ashley Grogg MSN-RN P.S. We are looking for volunteers! You can help further Medical Liberty. Check out the options or suggest one of your own. We will have a meeting to discuss on Thursday November 3rd 7pm EST via ZOOM P.S.S. Are you a monthly donor? If so you have made some AMAZING contributions. Not only are you helping here locally, but you are supporting national education on VAERS that will be life altering. VAERS project was endorsed by America's Front Line Doctors, Children's Health Defense, National Health Freedom Action, National Health Freedom Coalition, The Robert Scott Bell Show, The Truth About Cancer, Weston A. Price Foundation and SEVERAL other groups at the 2022 National Health Freedom Congress. Thank you for your GENEROUS contributions to Medical Liberty. If you haven't started donating monthly but want to please do so now. Your monthly donation of $10, $25, $50, or even $100 will support this and other efforts to secure Medical Liberty.
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Today we will talk about vaccine exemptions!
This will be one of the most sought-after blog posts I ever write! Before we get to the details there are a few things you should know. Unfortunately, as you will see below these exemptions do NOT cover all Hoosiers nor do they provide adult protection against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. We sincerely hope that you will take a few moments and complete our petition HERE to protect Hoosiers should vaccines be mandated by employers. This is a very real issue and cannot wait any longer. The team here at Hoosiers for Medical Liberty is working diligently to protect your rights and we cannot do it without you so be sure to sign the petition and share it with your friends. Once you have completed the petition you will be directed to a membership page where you can become a member for only $10 a year. This membership keeps you up to date on our work, educational events, activities, and funds everything we do! If you can afford more than $10 please consider donating more. We have tried to make membership affordable to all Hoosiers. However, as we continue to work, our costs will surpass the funds we collect through basic membership. Thank you and we hope these exemptions bring you peace of mind! AS PROMISED: VACCINE EXEMPTIONS! I was once in your position. Frantically searching to find out how I would be able to work without getting the flu shot or send my kids to daycare or to school without all of the “required” vaccinations. It is TERRIFYING to think that you could potentially be denied work, daycare, or school. Unfortunately, we are not alone. We frequently receive messages about vaccine exemptions and this issue causes great distress for many families across Indiana. To help alleviate that stress we have tried our best to make this process as simple as possible for you. All you need to do is: download the form relevant to your situation, complete it on a pdf editor or simply print and fill in by hand. By law you are not required to submit anything other than what is included in these forms unless indicated. We do want to be clear in stating that we are NOT a legal firm. We do not offer legal advice or representation. What is on the form? Each form will have a place for the date, your name or your child’s name, the requirements for the available exemptions, your signature, and the corresponding Indiana State code at the bottom for reference. What should I expect when turning in an exemption for daycare/preschool, k-12, or higher education? If you are filling out an exemption for a daycare, school, or higher education designation you can expect some push back. That is ok. Be polite, firm, and remind them they can review the Indiana state code, which is conveniently located on the form, or they can look it up themselves. Often, parents are asked to fill out a form that the school has, you are not LEGALLY obligated to do so. Some parents will complete it to remain in better graces with the school nurse, others simply decline. Some families like to email the exemption form to the school nurse or other responsible party, this allows for written acknowledgment of receipt upon response and can reduce discomfort for those who are nonconfrontational. You will be required to complete and turn in a new exemption each year so don’t be surprised when this happens. Sometimes schools will send home a letter with threatening language similar to: “your child is missing some of the required vaccines. You have until *date* to complete the vaccinations or your child will not be allowed to attend school.” When this occurs, you need to turn in another religious exemption form for that year or remind the staff that you had submitted a religious exemption at the beginning of the year. Another common occurrence is the request for CHIRP authorization. While this doesn’t fall under the exemption, you have the right to revoke participation in the CHIRP system. Read more about how to remove an individual from CHIRP HERE. Each code can be found here:
What should I expect when completing a Healthcare Worker Influenza exemption? As a nurse, I had no idea Indiana code providing exemptions for healthcare workers existed, and I am sure many of you will be amazed to learn this as well. Healthcare workers across the state have endured significant harassment and bullying over flu vaccines and we are excited to provide some education on this exemption. There are a few stipulations you need to be aware of and we encourage everyone to exercise their rights in accordance with this code. You are ultimately responsible for the interactions with your employer. Again, we are NOT a legal firm. We do not offer legal advice or representation. Nothing in this section must be taken as legal advice, we encourage you to seek out legal counsel if you have any questions or concerns prior to turning in this exemption. Indiana code 16-28-14.5 offers four (4) exemption options for the influenza vaccine to employees of a “comprehensive care facility” who “have direct contact with a patient or resident of the health facility.” According to IC 16-28-2.5-3 a “comprehensive care facility” is defined as “a health facility that provides, nursing care, room, food, laundry, administration of medications, special diets, treatments, and that may provide rehabilitative and restorative therapies under the order of an attending physician.” Essentially this covers most hospitals, long term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities and other inpatient rehab facilities. Below you will see the four options you have to choose from.
We have heard countless stories of hospital employees who are being coerced into receiving a flu vaccine and know it is imperative to get this information out as soon as possible. We have had reports of health facilities administering “religion tests” for those submitting exemptions or denying an exemption entirely. I am sure if you are seeking this form for yourself you are already aware that you can anticipate some push back, but again, be firm yet polite and remind them that they can review the Indiana state code conveniently provided on the bottom of the form. If you are fearful of retribution or confrontation at the time of returning this form you may decide to email your exemption form through your work platform to Employee Health Services or to Human Resources. Keeping communication regarding your exemption through email provides you written documentation of the receipt and response to your exemption. It may be advisable to print out communications at the time they are received and save hard copies. Patient Influenza/Pneumococcal vaccine exemption This is another exemption I was unaware of even though I would often send patients to health care facilities that “require” influenza (flu) and pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccines prior to admission. I don’t remember ever having a patient object; however, it was always presented as a prerequisite to being admitted. You may consider providing this exemption letter after you or your loved one has been accepted as a patient to the facility of your choice. It may be considered discrimination if a patient has previously been accepted to a facility prior to receiving an exemption form, and then is denied admission after. In many cases vaccinations are given on the day prior to discharge from a hospital and this may help you. Much like the healthcare worker exemption IC 16-28-14 offers four (4) exemption options as listed below.
I think that concludes the post and should help you achieve your desired outcome. Please email us at exemptions@hoosiersformedicalliberty.com with your success stories! Alternatively, we will start collecting stories from those of you who have faced discrimination or harassment due to vaccination status soon. Keep an eye on the blog for info! Thank you for reading and don’t forget to sign the petition and join as a member! |
AuthorAshley Grogg RN-MSN sharing insights, tips, and updates on Medical Liberty throughout the Hoosier state. Archives
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