This Wednesday, June 5, 2024, HB2037 may be voted out of the Children & Youth committee during a committee meeting. We are asking you to contact the Children & Youth committee members and ask them to vote NO on HB2037. We oppose this bill and do not want it to move forward or to get out of committee.
HB2037 would expand access to vaccines across the state allowing pharmacists, interns and pharmacy technicians to give all childhood vaccines to children as young as age 3. Previous legislation allowed only a few vaccines; this bill expands to the full CDC schedule. Additionally, this bill would require customer vaccine data to be added to the statewide registry system, the Pennsylvania Immunization Electronic Registry System (PIERS) formerly known as PA-SIIS.
As with any medication, vaccines can have adverse side effects. Some individuals can have serious adverse reactions as a result of vaccination, such as seizures, severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), and sometimes death. The decision as to whether to vaccinate or not is an extremely important one and not a one-size-fits-all all decision. Corporate pharmacists must stick to the CDC-recommended schedule and guidelines. As of May 1, 2024, the United States Government has paid out 5 billion dollars to vaccine victims through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Over 2.6 million adverse events and almost 48,000 deaths have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). When corporations run medical decisions it rarely ends well for the patient. See medAlerts.org for examples of reported side effects.
PCIC has grave concerns with a bill like this. Bills like this undermine the doctor-patient relationship. Pharmacists nor their employees perform an extensive medical history on any patient. Pharmacists in the state of PA who are licensed to administer vaccines are only required to have a basic CPR certification. There are NO requirements for a pharmacy to have a defibrillator on-premises. Would a pharmacist be able to tell the difference between cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, seizures, and fainting to be able to react accordingly?
A press statement issued August 21, 2020, from the American Medical Association opposed expanding pharmacists’ ability to provide childhood vaccines. Their statement points out that they want pharmacies to have important protocols in place before allowing pharmacy access, such as requiring a prescription order from a physician. They stated, “We urge HHS to reconsider the negative health repercussions of funneling children away from their primary care physicians and rescind this declaration.”
Just like nurses and physicians, pharmacists, interns, and technicians will NOT be liable for any injuries or deaths caused by the vaccines they administer to children. Vaccine administrators and pharmaceutical companies are shielded from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths through the 1986 Act passed by Congress which established the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and the 2011 Supreme Court Decision.
These questions remain unresolved as the bill does not address the following:
- How many constituents have complained since the pandemic that they no longer have access to vaccines for their children?
- If constituents find it hard to get to the doctor’s office, how can they get to a pharmacy?
- If a child experiences a vaccine reaction, are they to call the pharmacist or their doctor?
- Who will document that reaction?
- Will reactions and deaths be reported to VAERS as some vaccine injuries are required to be reported according to federal law?
- Why not seek informed consent from the patient and allow the patient to determine if they want their private medical information in a state-based system?
Please call these committee members today!! Ask them to Vote No on HB2037.
Representative Barry Jozwiak | (717) 772-9940 | bjozwiak@pahousegop.com
Representative Wendy Fink | (717) 783-6426 | wfink@pahousegop.com
Representative Charity Krupa | (717) 783-5173 | ckrupa@pahousegop.com
Representative John Schlegel | (717) 783-1815 | jschlegel@pahousegop.com
Representative David Zimmerman | (717) 787-3531 | dzimmerman@pahousegop.com
Representative Milou Mackenzie | (717) 783-1673 | mmackenzie@pahousegop.com
Representative Dan Watro | (717) 260-6136 | dwatro@pahousegop.com
Representative Jamie Flick | (717) 787-2885 | jflick@pahousegop.com
Representative Jeff Olsommer | (717) 783-2037 | jolsommer@pahousegop.com
Representative Joe Hogan | (717) 260-6140 | jhogan@pahousegop.com
Representative Leslie Rossi | (717) 783-9311 | lrossi@pahousegop.com
Representative Donna Bullock (chair) | (717) 787-3480 | repbullock@pahouse.net
Representative Liz Hanbidge | (717) 783-4102 | lhanbidge@pahouse.net
Representative Melissa Cerrato | (717) 772-1999 | repcerrato@pahouse.net
Representative Kristine Howard | (717) 783-4088 | khoward@pahouse.net
Representative Lindsay Powel | (717) 783-9114 | reppowell@pahouse.net
Representative Rick Krajewski | 717) 783-1000 | repkrajewski@pahouse.net
Representative Gina Curry | (717) 783-4907 | repcurry@pahouse.net
Representative Carol Kazeem | (717) 787-5881 | repkazeem@pahouse.net
Representative Anthony Bellmon | (717) 783-4111 | repbellmon@pahouse.com
Representative Justin Fleming | (717) 772-0674 | repfleming@pahouse.net
Representative Joe McAndrew | (717) 783-1011 | repmcandrew@pahouse.net
Representative Heather Boyd | (717) 783-8099 | hboyd@pahouse.net
Representative Nancy Guenst | (717) 705-2044 | repguenst@pahouse.net
Representative Napoleon Nelson | (717) 783-1079 | repnelson@pahouse.net
See additional bills we’re watching HERE.