RT @NJAICV Childrens Hospital Workers Fired Over #Flu Shot Refusal, Claim Religious Rights #VaccineChoice

Citing concerns for the their young patients’ safety, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia fired five employees for refusing the standard flu vaccine this year. The fired workers all claim their religions are at the root of their refusal to be vaccinated, and that they offered to wear flu masks.

The hospital said they asked employees who refused the shot to sign a waiver citing medical or religious reasons. A panel then looked at those claims, accepted some and rejected others based on past vaccination records;  however, according to one report,  this is the first year the hospital required that every employee get vaccinated. The fired employees said

they either don’t recall getting other shots or have chosen not to recently due to new religious beliefs.

I am hugely for religious freedom, and believe firmly that we have the right to control our bodies; that is actually what pro-choice  ultimately means–the right to control one’s body based on one’s spiritual and moral beliefs. I wonder how many of the fired employees would see that ppoint, that they’re actually standing up for abortion rights. And I wonder if the media which has been following this story would get that, and if conservatives who scream about government interference in our lives don’t see the cognitive dissonance. But expect this story to evolve some sort of analogy for religious persecution, socialist medicine, death panels and so forth. When really it’s about the right to control one’s body in all ways.

So about the fired employees: Terminated worker Rodney Bond said:

I am a herbalist. I have never had a flu shot. It goes against my belief system. That is a spiritual principle for me. How can my employer say it’s not. Who on that board is spiritual enough to make that decision?

Khadijah Muhammad who was also fired:

I’m just standing up for what I believe in and it’s hard, it really is.

Tyrika Cowlay explained:

I am a Christian, and my religion prohibits me from receiving vaccines.

Her husband Gary added:

We really have this strong belief. If it wasn’t that strong I would never jeopardize my job, knowing I have five kids, a wife, a mortgage. That’s how deeply we feel about this.

CHOP said it offered the employees opportunities to apply for medical and religious exemptions but not exemptions based on

personally held beliefs.

CHOP spokeswoman Peggy Flynn said:

Every request was given a careful evaluation. They had to show sincerely held religious beliefs.

Originally nine employees refused the standard flu vaccine. After the cases were reviewed, four were granted exemptions; the remaining five were not, and were given the opportunity to get the shots once their claims were rejected, or be fired. CHOP said in a statement:

Our seasonal flu vaccine policy is stronger than most hospitals in our region – and it should be, because we care for the sickest of sick children. Many of the children in our care have never had a chance to have a seasonal flu vaccine themselves so we have to do it for them. Many of our patients are either too young or their immune systems are too weak.

Gary McCormick and official from District 1199C of the Hospital and Health Care Employees Union countered:

We’re at a loss in terms of how does an institution make a determination of somebody’s spiritual and religious beliefs and say, ‘For you it’s OK, but for you it’s not OK.’

The union is taking this to arbitration and asking for reinstatement and back wages.

The majority of religions allow for vaccination; even Jehovah’s Witnesses permit individuals to make the decision for themselves. Obviously the CHOP review board took some employees’ religious stances seriously, since four out nine were exempted.  Wouldn’t a letter from one’s congregational leader stating that their particular sect finds vaccines spiritually wrong because of whatever, would have sufficed. In the case of Bond, who claimed in 30 years of employment at CHOP never to have been vaccinated would have been proof of his spiritual beliefs.

So what gives? And do self-held beliefs supersede the greater good? And is that the argument anti-choicers will be using regarding abortion–that the greater good good of America’s salvation and God’s blessings supersede each woman’s right to choose contraception in whatever form, be it abstinence, pregnancy prevention or abortion?

via lafiga.firedoglake.com

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Vaccines in the News 12/08

Swine flu vaccine victims encouraged to post reports of side effects on SwineFluVaccineReport.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/027180_swine_flu_swine_flu_vaccine_side_effects.html

[12/8](http://tinyurl.com/ybue6y3) Most Britons Reject Swine Flu Vaccine (Mercola)
[12/8](http://tinyurl.com/ygprofm) medically Caused Death in America
[12/8](http://tinyurl.com/yexeepu) Harvard and CNN Report on Lower than Expected H1N1 Vaccine Uptake (AoA)
[12/8](http://tinyurl.com/y8az2rw) $300K to Banyan Communications from Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines? (AoA)

[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/ykrnyec) Study confirms low mortality for swine flu (Reuters)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/ygt8hut) Oops. Flu Pandemic May Be The Mildest since Modern Medicine Began Tracking (AoA)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/ylsoday) Tamiflu Boosts H1N1 Virus Infectivity In Vitro 
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yzz8np5) Administration pushes swine flu vaccines in ads (WashPost)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yd8dq9s) Swine-flu bribe fever!
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/ya5xvpq) Grassley Wants Payment Data from AMA and Others (Pharmalot)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yf83z6f) Parents Continue to Support Dr Wakefield
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yjqgh8b) Dr. Paul Offit on National Public (Health) Radio (AoA)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yf68dda) Kickin' the Tires of the Green Vaccine Initiative (AoA)
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/yf2kpw3) The H1N1 vaccine debacle
[12/7](http://tinyurl.com/ybv8oe9) As CDC Kicks Off National Influenza Vaccination Week, It Is More Important than Ever to Take Preventative Measures Against Cold & Flu

[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/yb8uujv) Hospital workers lose jobs over flu shot (ABC)

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Facts About Water Fluoridation and Action Alert for NJ

Reposted from http://lifehealthchoices.com

ATTENTION: ALL CONCERNED CITIZENS 

Everyone must read the following professional statement against water fluoridation, endorsed by thousands of scientists, physicians and other credentialed professionals in the U.S. and around the world.  Human beings should not be forced to drink and bathe in toxic waste chemicals! 

Tell Lawmakers No Forced Fluoridation

New Jersey residents, please contact your Senator and members of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee today and say NO to New Jersey Public Water Supply Fluoridation Act, Senate Bill S2856!  

Please contact each member of the New Jersey Senate Health Committee and also write your local senator. Tell them you are against water fluoridation in New Jersey.

Did You Know?

Lawmakers are proposing to “fluoridate” our municipal water with a concentrated pollution waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry.  "By recovering byproduct fluosilicic acid from fertilizer manufacturing, water and air pollution are minimized, and water utilities have a low-cost source of fluoride available to them," Rebecca Hanmer, former EPA Deputy Asst. Administrator.

Fluoride is a protected pollutant.  There is no regulatory oversight or standards for sodium fluoride and hydrofluosilicic acid, the waste by-products of the aluminum and phosphate fertilizer industries.  Fluosilicic acid (fluoride) is often contaminated with diesel fuel, arsenic, mercury, lead, and radionuclides and cannot be legally released into the air, or waterways.

Fluoride is more toxic than lead and only slightly less poisonous than  arsenic.  For more information on fluoride toxicity, click HERE.  

“Fluoride causes more human cancer death and causes it faster than any other chemical. …30,000 to 50,000 deaths each year, from various causes, may now be attributable to fluoridation.” (Dr. Dean Burk, Chief Chemist Emeritus, U.S. National Cancer Institute)

The New Jersey Department of Health found the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) was up to seven times greater for children under age 20 living in areas with fluoridated drinking water (1992).  

“The American Medical Association is NOT prepared to state that no harm will be done to any person by water fluoridation.” Additionally, the AMA has not carried out any research work, either long-term or short-term, regarding the possibility of any side effects."  (former AMA Asst. Director, Environmental Health, Dr. Flanagan) 

Subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the effects of fluoride. These populations include the elderly, people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium and vitamin C, and people with cardiovascular and kidney problems… Poor nutrition increases the incidence and severity of dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis."” (Charles Fox, Asst. Admin., EPA, 2000)

Number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child was virtually the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas according to the largest U.S. study of fluoridation/tooth decay involving U.S. Public Health Service dental records of 39,000 schoolchildren, ages 5-17, from 84 areas.

New Jersey families deserve the right to safeguard their health and to choose whether or not to ingest fluoride.  Anyone who desires fluoride, has the option of fluoride toothpaste; the rest of us choose to avoid a substance that carries the warning: “If you accidentally swallow more than a pea-sized amount, contact a Poison Control Center immediately.”  

Fluoride Should Not Be Forced Upon US Citizens!

Contact Life Health Choices for additional New Jersey-specific information, as well as Fluoride Alert for further information and research on fluoride.

From Mary DeBonis, parent activist

For more information

Clean Water Campaign - Why is Water Fluoridation Bad For New Jersey?  (Clean Water Action) 
Bill to mandate NJ's public water pits natural allies against each other (New Jersey Monthly)  6/8/09
Assembly Committee Clears Bill to Allow Fluoride to NJ Drinking Water (Fluoride Action Network) 2/9/09

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Vaccines in the News 12/6

[12/5](http://tinyurl.com/ybz7m43) Mercury Containing Vaccine Clinic Closed on Account of Mercury
[12/5](http://tinyurl.com/yjo9adm) Mounting Debilities and Deaths from H1N1 Vaccine  (Mercola)
[12/5](http://tinyurl.com/ylgrmcv) School nurses' role expands with increasing demand 
[12/5](http://tinyurl.com/ygr39cu) Drop in H1N1 vaccine demand spurs warning from Hunterdon County
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/yjte4eh) Healthcare "reform" and vaccines
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/yd43o6f) Michael Aschner & Sandra Ceccatelli: Sins of Omission Regarding Thimerosal
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/ygtymsy) Chickenpox vaccine may protect kids from shingles
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/yllfahd) From a Concerned Aunt
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/ya74hk7) Further Study Of Antipsychotic Effects On Kids: FDA (Pharmalot)
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/yhahqfc) Zyprexa and Seroquel Get FDA Approval For Use In Adolescents
[12/4](http://tinyurl.com/ychectd) Glaxo's swine flu shot may give kids fever (AP)
[12/3](http://tinyurl.com/ybzlfjd) Quick Compare - Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated
[12/3](http://tinyurl.com/yddhbay) After Delays, Vaccine to Counter Bad Beef Is Being Tested (NYTimes)

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Vaccines in the News 12/3

[12/3](http://tinyurl.com/ygl4bhm) Gardasil Damage Stories Everywhere, When Will the FDA Act? (AoA)
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/yhf22l2) Family medical issues — how are they decided?
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/yfqn4nx) Dear VaccinesSaveLives (LHC)
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/ybvtok8) Swine Flu Recedes, Vaccine Supply Grows 
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/yhdkgz7) Call in for Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines 12/3 and 12/4 (AoA)
[11/27](http://tinyurl.com/y9tu5yh) Experts Say Swine Flu Mutations Do Not Warrant New Alarm (NYTimes)
[11/25](http://tinyurl.com/yhdp2x2) Novartis inaugurates influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Holly Springs

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Vaccines in the News 12/2

[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/yk43maw) Katie Wright: Autism and Amanda Peet, By a Parasite (AoA)
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/yl37tfg) Autism and Adulthood, the Looming Future (AoA)
[12/2](http://tinyurl.com/ylr2q4b) To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate?
[12/1](http://tinyurl.com/yd96eyg) How Vaccines Cause Autoimmune Conditions
[12/1](http://tinyurl.com/yj4756z) 8 Year Old Dutch Boy Dead After MMR and DTP
[11/30](http://tinyurl.com/y9vjfzv) Dr. Paul Offit: Pope Of The Church Of The Immaculate Vaccination (HuffPo)
[11/30](http://tinyurl.com/yhs45y4) Governments Spend Swine Flu Panic Billions On Common Cold (Globe and Mail)
[11/25](http://tinyurl.com/yjucp4y) Iowa and North Carolina Reports Raise Fears H1N1 Mutations Have Reached United States
[11/23](http://tinyurl.com/yee8jfl) Back Bay doc held in kid sex case (BostonHerald)

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The On-going Struggle for Choice in Vaccination by Dr. Paul King

Download now or preview on posterous

king_ongoing_struggle_for_choice.pdf (145 KB)

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