[The following is from National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) Advocacy Portal (https://nvicadvocacy.org/members/Home.aspx) and the Florida NVIC Advocacy Team. ]
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Your action is needed to stop two bills that have been introduced in Florida.
SB 1130 and HB 969 are companion bills working their way through the Florida Legislature. SB 1130 is sponsored by Senator Aaron Bean and HB969 is sponsored by Representative Jackie Toledo and co-sponsored by Representative Clay Yarborough. SB 1130 is currently in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. HB 969 is moving a little faster and has been scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, March 30th is currently in the House Health and Human Services Committee at 9:oo a.m. in Morris Hall.
These bills would require the Dept. of Health to contract with a not-for-profit statewide alliance of organizations to provide services to pregnant women and their families through subcontractors. These services include “wellness services” that are defined to include flu and tetanus vaccines.
ACTION NEEDED:
- Contact the sponsors of SB 1130 and HB 969 and tell them you are opposed to a wellness program for pregnant women that includes vaccines, SB 1130 – Senator Beanand HB 969 Rep. Jackie Toledo and Rep. Clay Yarborough.
- Call and Email members of the House Health and Human Services Committeeand ask them to VOTE NO on HB 969 in the hearing on 3/30/2017. (contact information and talking points below)
- Attend the Hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee on 3/30 at 9:00 a.m. in Morris Hall. Hearing Agenda. To fill out an Appearance Request Form, click here.
- Contact your own Florida State Senator and Representative and ask them to oppose SB 1130/HB 969 if they come to the full house or senate for a vote. If you do not know who your Florida State Senator and Representative are or their contact information, you can login to the NVIC Advocacy Portal, click on the “State Teams” tab and then “My State,” and your elected officials are automatically posted on the right hand side of the page – http://NVICAdvocacy.org. You can also use this search engines below to find your Florida legislators.
Login to the NVIC Advocacy Portal often to check for updates. http://NVICAdvocacy.org. Bills can change many times over the legislative process. Please forward this email to family and friends and ask them to register for the NVIC Advocacy Portal and share their concerns with their legislators as well.
TALKING POINTS:
- Any listing of a vaccination in a legislative bill is an endorsement and can be misinterpreted as a requirement by the providers. The counselors at the locations of Florida Pregnancy Support Services are not medical providers and therefore not qualified to make these vaccination recommendations for any client or family member in these counseling centers.
- Flu Vaccines have not been tested on pregnant women. According to the product insert for Fluarix – There are insufficient data on FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT in pregnant women to inform vaccine-associated risks. (See page 12)
- Tetanus Vaccine is only available in combination with Diphtheria or Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis. Product information for these vaccines state – Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted, it is also not known whether the vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. (See Sections 8.1 for Adaceland Tenivac)
- The Bill Contradicts the Program Mission. The requirement of any service provider in this bill under contract with the DOH is to promote “life affirming decisions”. Since vaccines have not been studied with pregnant women and there are unknown risks that can potentially endanger mother and child, offering vaccines is not a “life affirming” choice.
COMMITTEE CONTACT INFORMATION:
House Health and Human Services Committee
Representatives
Cummings, W. Travis [R] Chair, Phone: (850) 717-5018, Email
Santiago, David [R] Vice Chair, Phone: (850) 717-5027, Email
DuBose, Bobby B. [D] Democratic Ranking Member, Phone: (850) 717-5094, Email
Altman, Thad [R], Phone: (850) 717-5052, Email
Baez, Daisy J. [D], Phone: (850) 717-5114, Email
Berman, Lori [D], Phone: (850) 717-5090, Email
Brodeur, Jason T. [R], Phone: (850) 717-5028, Email
Grant, Michael [R], Phone: (850) 717-5075, Email
Hardemon, Roy [D], Phone: (305) 795-1224, Email
Harrell, Gayle B. [R], Phone: (850) 717-5083, Email
Magar, MaryLynn “ML” [R], Phone: (850) 717-5082, Email
Massullo, MD, Ralph E. [R], Phone: (850) 717-5034, Email
Miller, Alexandra C. “Alex” [R], Phone: (850) 717-5072, Email
Pigman, Cary [R], Phone: (850) 717-5055, Email
Renner, Paul [R], Phone: (850) 717-5024, Email
Silvers, David [D], Phone: (850) 717-5087, Email
White, Frank [R], Phone: (850) 717-5002, Email
Williams, Patricia H. [D], Phone: (850) 717-5092, Email
If you have any questions or receive any legislative communications about either of these bills, please contact FLDirector@NVICAdvocacy.org.
Sincerely,
NVIC Advocacy Team
National Vaccine Information Center
http://NVIC.org and http://NVICAdvocacy.org
https://nvicadvocacy.org/members/Members/ContactUs.aspx
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Sarasota for Vaccination Choice 