Michigan Health Officials Abuse Rule Making Authority
In contrast to Ohio, where the public was allowed to participate in the lawmaking process, Michigan state health department officials abused their rule making authority so they could fly under the radar to limit citizen participation and sneak vaccine exemption filing changes through the back door. Without notifying long-recognized vaccine stakeholders, such as Michigan Opposing Mandatory Vaccines and NVIC, and without any legislative hearings, state health officials quietly gutted the non-medical vaccine exemption filing process by burying a rule change notice in on page 166 of a 240-page document published in the Nov. 1, 2014 Michigan Register.
As of Jan. 1, 2015, Michigan parents filing a non-medical exemption form for their children first will be required to ask a health department official to certify that they have received one-sided state vaccine “education.” After calling and speaking with a nurse in the department, she said that “anyone seeking a waiver for one, all or any vaccines is required to come into their local health dept for mandatory education. This is by appointment only, not walk-in. Parents are strongly encouraged to bring their children with them and provided the parents gets the education and has a good conversation with the nurse, the nurse will sign off on the waiver. The points are for the parents to have an understanding what happens if you opt out of vaccines and the repercussions of that choice.” Without that health department “certification,” a non-medical vaccine exemption will not be accepted by a day care facility, school or other state-funded activity program.
NVIC Opposes New Michigan Rule
NVIC State Advocacy Director Dawn Richardson said: “In Michigan, state health officials abused their rule making privileges and failed to adequately inform the public and solicit feedback from families negatively impacted by restriction of non-medical vaccine exemptions. The Michigan legislature should make it a priority in the new session to quickly rescind the new rule, which endorses state-sanctioned discrimination against and coercion, harassment and intimidation of families making informed vaccine choices by assuming they are ignorant and in need of re-education.”
Stand Up in Michigan and Your State Today!
Learn more about what NVIC is going to do in Michigan in the New Year and what YOU can do in Michigan and other states to protect vaccine exemptions by signing up today to use the free online NVIC Advocacy Portal. As a Portal user, you willreceive email updates about vaccine legislation pending in your state and have direct electronic access to your own state legislators so you can make your voice heard. You will also have immediate access to NVIC Advocacy Portal updates as vaccine bills move through the legislative process.
No matter what state you live in, please understand that the forced vaccination lobby could descend on your state unannounced in the coming year. Be prepared to fight back by being among the first to get NVIC Action Alerts about proposed changes to vaccine laws in your state and learn what you can do about it.
www.nvic.org