Senate Bill 442

This article is written on behalf of my family, my daughters, my many patients, and all Oregonians who deserve the right to MEDICAL CHOICE.

I am a naturopathic family and pediatric physician. For over thirteen years I have offered primary care to families of Multnomah and Yamhill counties. I see hundreds of children yearly, including many that I have helped with the development of a personalized vaccination schedule. Every child’s health status is unique. Children have different risks for vaccinations and different risks for developing illnesses. Vaccinating in a way that parallels the development of the immune system can be a safer option for some and requires a different schedule than the CDC recommends.

The bill that is proposed by the Senate, SB 442, takes away our rights as parents to make important health decisions for our children. The bill will also take away my right as a physician to help my patients make informed decisions when choosing to vaccinate. SB 442 will take away most medical exemptions, leaving many children in potential harm if vaccinated during a time of vulnerability. What if a child had a severe side effect that their physician didn’t consider worthy of a medical exemption and parents were expected to vaccinate again? Yes, for some children, we may not see short-term affects from vaccinations but long-term effects are not well understood.

Many of my patients have spoken to me about their concerns with SB 422 and the potential for it to abolish their rights as parents to make important medical decisions for their families. We live in a democracy. Our Legislators passing a bill, which mandates a medical procedure without giving us, the people, a chance to voice our concerns and desires is unconstitutional. In fact, many of my patients have discussed moving out of state if SB 442 is passed. This will have a negative impact on Oregon and it’s economic prosperity.

In the proposed amendments to the Senate bill, they compare Oregon to states where vaccination is mandated such as Mississippi. Really? Let’s compare statistics. Oregon should not be modeling any health decisions after the least healthy state in the US. Mississippi is ranked 50^th out of 50 states for having the highest rate of premature death. Not to mention, due to it’s infant mortality rates, babies born in Mississippi are less likely to reach their first year birthday compared to ANY other state in the United States. Oregon ranks high, tying for 9^th with Iowa out of 50 states for infant mortality rates.

Not to mention, the current US vaccination schedule proposes 26 vaccine doses to be given to an infant before they turn one. This is more than any other country in the world! YET 33 other nations are ranked ahead of us in infant mortality rates! Infant mortality rates are based on the amount of deaths that occur within the first year of a baby’s life. That means we have more babies die in the first year of life compared with 33 OTHER NATIONS. That is pretty huge.

This bill should not be about a political agenda; it is about “choice,” which is the backbone of America! We, the people, deserve the right to informed consent. We, the people, are not against vaccinations. We are for MEDICAL FREEDOM.

As a parent, Oregon citizen, and physician, I strongly oppose SB 442 because it would violate personal freedom of choice. I want to have the right to make choices about my child’s healthcare as do my patients, colleagues, and friends.

If you live in Oregon and haven’t written to your Senator and would like more information on how to do it, please send me a message.