SPRINGFIELD – Next Wednesday, the Illinois House Elementary & Secondary Education School Curriculum & Policies Committee will consider State Rep. Robyn Gabel's effort to force the HPV vaccine on 6th grade boys and girls.
An effort to stop Gabel's bill is mounting as 6395 opponents file witness slips online, compared to 139 proponents.
Thirteen Dems and eight Republicans serve on the committee that will be hearing the bill next week:
The committee hearing for HB 4870 is scheduled for March 4, 2020 at 10 am in the Stratton Building's Room 413.
Parents are calling lawmakers, telling them to vote no on the vaccine mandate – and lawmakers are responding by posting polls asking if they agree or disagree with the mandate.
Why would so many parents be upset about the state of Illinois adding another vaccination to its list of required vaccines? Some reasons opponents give are:
- HPV is transmitted only via sexual contact – sixth grade children should not be the targets for this vaccine.
- Using the MedAlerts search engine, as of May 31, 2019, the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) contains more than 62,393 reports of HPV vaccine reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths and, includes 503 related deaths, 6,286 hospitalizations, and 3,018 disabling conditions.
- After the original Gardasil vaccine was licensed for 11-12 year old girls and young women, thousands of adverse reaction reports were filed for: sudden collapse with unconsciousness within 24 hours, seizures, muscle pain and weakness, disabling fatigue, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), facial paralysis brain inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, blood clots, premature ovarian failure, optic neuritis, multiple sclerosis, strokes, heart and other serious health problems, including death. Similar reports have been filed for the Gardasil 9 vaccine, even though the recommended number of doses was reduced from three to two.
- As of July 1, 2019, 415 claims were filed with the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) for injuries and deaths following HPV vaccination, which included 15 deaths and 400 serious injuries. Less than a third of claims received compensation.
- When a vaccine is mandated, the pharmaceutical company is relieved of liability.
Why the urgency in the minds of lawmakers like Rep. Gabel?
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) – a cosponsor of HB 4870 – explained in a Facebook post on February 14th that the HPV vaccine will "prevent cervical cancer."
While Gardasil is promoted as a deterrent to cervical cancer, the vaccine is to prevent an infection resulting from sexual transmission with an infected person.
HPV is not transmitted with casual contact.
UPDATE: Illinois Review just found that Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) got a $2000 check last August from Merck – the company that makes the Gardasil vaccine she wants to require all 6th Graders get. Their $2000 will be a meager investment if she gets the measure passed in Illinois – Merck will get millions for their donation to Gabel. And they'll also be protected from liability if it is mandated.
