Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition - Chicken Pox Hearing

Illinois Department of Public Health to Hold Public Hearings on
Chicken Pox Vaccine Mandate
The Illinois Department of Public Health must hold three hearings in various parts of the state before it can make changes in the vaccination program. On April 19, the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC) recommended to the state that the chicken pox vaccine be added to the list of vaccines mandated by the state for school-aged children. They disregarded over one thousands cards, emails, faxes and letters sent from concerned parents around the state asking the IAC not to recommend the vaccine. Some of the reasons for opposition were:

chicken pox is not a serious, epidemic disease, warranting a mandate
parents, not government, should decide if they will vaccinate their children against chicken pox
the length of vaccine immunity is unknown possibly leaving a child unprotected at an age where the disease is more serious
chicken pox is a mild childhood disease conferring lifelong immunity
chicken pox vaccine was cultured in a cell line that was begun with two aborted fetuses

Editorials from the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times agreed with the parents that a vaccine mandate was unjustified.

The first hearing was held in Carterville on August 22. People in northern Illinois will get the opportunity to voice their opinion September 14 at the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, Chicago, at 11 am. The third hearing will be held in October in Springfield.

IVAC is asking parents and people concerned with medical freedom to attend these hearings. This is not a small issue. The government policy of mandating vaccines began to control life-threatening epidemics. As the possible mandate of the chicken pox vaccine illustrates, government is using vaccine mandates to enforce their brand of health care on people. The Jordan Report 2000 listing 367 possible new vaccines plus 162 AIDS vaccines troubles IVAC. The hearings offer Illinois citizens the opportunity to make the Board of Health aware of your concerns. Each person at the hearing can sign up to speak for 3-5 minutes. Have your comments printed out along with any questions you want addressed.

For information on the chicken pox vaccine from the manufacturer's (Merck) vaccine package insert and warnings by the CDC...
Click HERE.

Write a Letter to:
Dr. John Lumpkin, Director
IDPH
525 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761-0001

Mr. Lumpkin is the one and only person who decides if the chicken pox vaccine should be mandated. Certainly he would appreciate plenty of input. And don't forget to send copies of your letter to your Illinois State Representative and Senator (you can call your library for their name).