WELCOME...

1/14/02
BLACK CLOUD HANGS
OVER MERCK'S VACCINES

IVAC's Demand for Chickenpox Vaccine Mandate Vote Delay

IVAC asks the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to delay the chickenpox vaccine mandate vote until the federal government clears Merck of plant violations. Merck manufactures Varivax, the chickenpox vaccine.

On January 4, 2002, the Food and Drug Administration released a 23-page extensive investigation/observation report of improper procedures at Merck's Pennsylvania plant. These serious violations-sterility, testing and documentation-caused Merck plant closure for more than a month in the fall. The other vaccines in question are haemophilus B/hepatitis B (Comvax), hepatitis A (VAQTA), Hepatitis B (Recombivax), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and pneumococcal (Pneumovax).

According to Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, IVAC spokeswoman, "It's too risky to force chickenpox vaccine on Illinois children when a black cloud hangs over Merck's vaccines. In addition, Merck scientists have failed to produce peer-reviewed, published safety studies on the chickenpox vaccine's ingredients and long-term effects. Safety takes precedence over concern about vaccine shortages. IVAC members value vaccine safety first."

To view 6 pages of excerpts
from FDA/Merck report, click HERE.

IVAC's letter to JCAR demanding chickenpox vaccine vote delay (click HERE)

ALERT!!!
LAST CHANCE TO STOP
CHICKENPOX VACCINE MANDATE!
Click HERE for Information

Effective October 1, 2001
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) removes all references to immunizations from the allagation of medical neglect.
Click HERE to read DCFS's statement.

Back to School Exemption Information
Click HERE

Conflict of Interest is OK with Governor Ryan!?!
Click HERE for details

Upcoming Meetings
CANCELED October 11, 2001
Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee Meeting
We have been advised by the Ilinois Department of Public Health that "because of a lack of substantial issues for discussion, the October 11th Immunization Advisory Committee will not be held. The Department has not made a decision when the next meeting will be held"

Vaccine Adverse Reactions / Deaths Report
VAERS Reported Statistics from 1/1/90 through 3/6/01
Click HERE for Details
To Report a Vaccine Reaction, print out the PDF file on the VAERS Web Site (www.vaers.org)... Click HERE to proceed.

Vaccine Facts Sheet
The Numbers Tell the Story...
Click HERE for Details

Letter to the Editor of the Chicago SunTimes
Barbara Mullarkey "Vaccines need shot of investigation"
Click HERE to Read the Letter

In the News
5 Drug Makers Use Material with Possible Mad Cow Link (February 8, 2001)
Doctors' Group Opposes Vaccine Mandates (November 2, 2000)
Parents Doubt Vaccine Safety (October 30, 2000)
Wyeth-Ayerst Pays for Violations (October 3, 2000)

August 16, 2001
Pro-Family...
Vaccination Legislation Becomes Law in Illinois!
SB 1305 Victory! (Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and Adoption Act)
Removes "not immunizing" as reason for investigation by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)

Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition's state-wide members appreciate Gov. George Ryan's signature on SB 1305, a vaccine-related bill after passage in the Illinois Senate and House without opposition. It is bipartisanship at its best.

SB 1305 removes Department of Children and Family Services' regulation of medical neglect for parents who choose to delay vaccination, fail or refuse to vaccinate their children based on medical or religious exemptions. IVAC thanks DCFS' Jim Kaufman who testified in favor of SB 1305.

As determined in the House floor debate, SB 1305's legislative intent, also, includes families who delay or refuse vaccination for their children's developmental problems, e.g., Down Syndrome or minor illnesses.

With SB 1305, doctors are free to advocate different vaccination schedules than recommended by medical societies for developmental issues or minor illnesses without writing a medical exemption.

According to Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, IVAC spokeswoman, "SB 1305 relieves parents' anxiety of DCFS' threat of medical neglect for failure to vaccinate."

IVAC appreciates the following legislators who shepherded SB 1305 through the legislature:
SB 1305 Senate sponsor: Sen. Patrick O'Malley R Palos Park
SB 1305 House co-sponsors: Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D) Chicago
Rep. Mary Lou Cowlishaw R Naperville
Rep. Monique Davis (D) Chicago

• Feb. 22: Sen. O'Malley introduces; Rules Committee
• Feb. 28: Assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee
• March 30: Passes Judiciary Committee 11-0; DCFS testifies for bill
• April 4: Passes Senate 53-0-2 present
• April 4: Arrives in House
• April 5: House sponsor: Rep. Feigenholtz; Rules Committee
• April 6: Assigned to Human Services
• April 19: Rep. Monique Davis added as a joint sponsor
• May 3: Passes 9-0 Human Services Committee with amendment to delete whether, or whatever; DCFS testifies for bill
• May 10: Rep. Monigue Davis added as a joint sponsor
• May 17: Passes 115-0 in House, with bill intent clarification
• May 22: Sen. O'Malley and Senate concur on amendment
• May 22: Passes both Houses
• Aug. 15: Governor Ryan signs bill into law.

SB 1304 Vetoed by Gov. Ryan!!!
Immunization Advisory Committee Conflict of Interest Bill
To override the Governor's veto it will have to pass both Houses by a super majority vote in favor in the November 2001 veto session... after already having passed the bill without opposition and sending it to the Governor for approval in May.

SB 1304 removes financial conflicts of interest for Immunization Advisory Committee members that could influence their mandatory vaccination decisions. SB 1304 prohibits members' conflicts of interest with the vaccine industry, including speaking engagements, stocks and other economic benefits.

• SB 1304 passed both Illinois Senate and House without opposition. On August 15, Gov. Ryan explained his veto in a letter to the Illinois Senate and the 92nd General Assembly. Gov. Ryan stated: "Many physicians with expertise in the field of immunizations and infectious disease have contractual relationships with pharmaceutical companies with regards to speaking engagements. Also, many medical schools and academic centers employ infectious disease specialists that perform research funded by the pharmaceutical industry."

According to Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, IVAC spokeswoman, "Gov. Ryan's veto of SB 1304 continues the conflict of interest between the vaccine industry and the Immunization Advisory Committee and verifies the severity of the problem. Is it any wonder that parents lack confidence in the Advisory Committee's vaccination investigations and votes? It's a sad state of affairs if Governor Ryan is unable to find Illinois doctors with vaccination expertise without vaccine industry financial links."

IVAC appreciates our representatives who guided SB 1304 through the legislature without opposition:
SB 1304 Senate sponsor: Sen. Patrick O'Malley -R- Palos Park
SB 1304 House co-sponsors: Rep. Rosemary Mulligan-R- Des Plaines
Rep. Elizabeth Coulson-R- Glenview

• Feb. 22: Sen. O'Malley introduces bill; Senate Rules Committee
• Feb. 28: Assigned to Senate Public Health Committee
• March 27: Passes 10-0 in Senate Public Health Committee
• April 3: Amendment adopted 9-0
• April 4: Passes Senate 53-0-1 present
• April 4: Arrives in House
• April 6: House Sponsor: Rep Mulligan, Rep. Coulson added as Joint
  sponsor; Rules Committee
• April 18: Assigned to Human Services Committee
• May 3: Passes Human Services Committee
• May 23: Passes 114-0 in House
• May 23: Passes both Houses
• Aug. 15: Governor Ryan vetoes bill
  

Senate Bill 1305
Removing "not immunizing" as reason for investigation by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
"A child shall not be considered neglected or abused for the sole reason that the child's parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare failed to vaccinate, delayed vaccination, or refused vaccination for the child whether due to a waiver on religious or medical grounds as permitted by the law."
House amendment: limits the waiver to those permitted by law.

Senate Sponsor: Patrick O'Malley
House Sponsor: Sara Feigenholtz

Senate Bill 1304
Immunization Advisory Committee Conflict of Interest
Amends the Department of Public Health Act. Provides that a person is ineligible to serve on the Immunization Advisory Committee if the person or his or her spouse is an officer, employee, or agent of, or has any ownership or other financial interest in, a pharmaceutical company that manufactures or produces vaccines. Prohibits members or their spouses from soliciting or accepting anything of value or any other economic benefit from a pharmaceutical company that manufactures or produces vaccines unless it is offered and available generally to licensed physicians or to the public. Provides that the prohibitions do not apply to an officer, employee, or his or her spouse of a governments or non-profit entity that solicits vaccines for the governmental or nonprofit entity.

Senate Sponsor: Patrick O'Malley
House Sponsors: Rosemary Mulligan and Elizabeth Coulson

March 15, 2001
Chickenpox vaccine mandate defeat upheld
The Illinois State Board of Health met March 15, and held to its decision to advise the Department of Public Health not to mandate the chicken pox vaccine for school aged children. The mandate is not "dead" yet... IDPH Director, John Lumpkin, has the authority to disregard the recommendation of the board and mandate the Chicken Pox Vaccine. What will he do? ...He decided not to mandate it for the 2001 school year.

The members reviewed a summary of the three Public Health Hearings on the chicken pox mandate written up by the University of Illinois. (Click here to view excerpts of the summary)

IVAC spokeswoman, Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, says, "Opponents views are clearly and accurately stated. Omitted subject is lack of peer-reviewed, published safety studies on ingredients and long-term vaccine effects. IVAC is troubled by the statement, 'Another key issue is whether parents who decline to have their own children immunized have the right to put other children at potential risk for illness in school and day care settings.'"

"Before parents can debate this onerous issue, public health officials need to determine: How many vaccinated children transmit the disease, for which they are vaccinated, to unvaccinated children? How many vaccinated children get the disease for which they are vaccinated? Why do vaccines fail to prevent disease in vaccinated children?"

"From 1995 to March 6, 2001, the federal government received reports of 12,635 adverse reactions to the chickenpox vaccine, 31 deaths and 590 serious complications. This is the tip of the iceberg since 99 percent of serious drug reactions go unreported to the Food and Drug Administration."

Please send a note of thanks to the below listed board members that voted to defeat the mandate.

December 7, 2000
Chickenpox vaccine mandate defeated by 4-3 vote of the State Board of Health members

The following members voted to defeat the mandate:

Colin McCrae, B.S.
335 N. Seymour Ave.
Mundelein, IL 60060

Ernest Ott
1721 Nathan Lane
Libertyville, IL 60048

Karen Mason, R.N.
Kishwaukee Community Hospital
626 Bethany Road
DeKalb, IL 60115

Donald S. Ross, M.D.
Springfield Surgical Associates
501 N. First St.
Springfield, IL 62702

The following members voted to approve the mandate:

Chairman James McGee, MD
Medical Director of Radiation Oncology
St. Francis Medical Center
530 N.E. Glen Oak Ave.
Peoria, IL 60537

Joseph Orthefer, D.V.M., M.P.H.
5154 Crofton Drive
Rockford, IL 61114

Karen Phelan
1010 W. Polk Street
Chicago, IL 60607

These members were not present to vote:

Virendra S. Bisla, MD
Heart Care Center of South Chicago
9011 S. Commercial
Chicago, IL 60617

Karen L. Scott, MD, M.P.H.
Director
Cook County Department of Health
1010 Lake St., Suite 300
Oak Park, IL 60301

Jane Ann Parker, President
Southgate Health Care Center
900 E. Ninth St.
Metropolis, IL 62960

Welcome
The Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition (IVAC) is a grassroots organization based in Oak Park, Illinois, with members throughout our state and in other parts of the US. As the name implies, our goal is to make people aware of any known dangers and risks in vaccinations, along with supplying up-to-date information on vaccines in general. To Navigate through the site, select a Category Button at the top of the page.

IVAC supports Illinois legislation allowing parents the freedom of choice when making vaccine decisions for their children.

The information on this Web Site is for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical or legal advice. Readers are advised to supplement this information with their own research. The Decision to Vaccinate is Yours and Yours Alone.