The Scary Truth About the New York City Flu Vaccine MandateMissy Fluegge The official requirement mandates that all children between the ages of six months and five years who will be attending day care or preschool in New York City must be vaccinated between July 1 and December 31 of any given year. One health official claims that the rule wont officially be enforced until the end of 2014, and a press release from the New York City Board of Health states that they will begin issuing violations on January 1, 2016. [1] [2] New York City already mandates that children must be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, chicken pox, and tetanus. The new mandate is expected to affect 150,000 children under the age of six. Daycare and preschool facilities will be required to enforce the mandates or they will face fines. [3] Reason #1: It Interferes with Parental Choice Regardless of peoples views about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, many people would agree that it should be an individuals right to choose or, in the case of a minor, a parents right to choose which substances are injected into their body. In its own statement regarding vaccination, even the American Medical Association (AMA) grants approval for medical personnel to receive exemptions for vaccines due to a recognized medical, religious, or philosophic reason, exemptions which are more lenient than those granted to babies and preschool children affected by the NYC mandate. Also in question is whether or not the city government has the authority to mandate vaccines. City officials claim that their Health Department has authority over all matters concerning health in New York City through the City Charter. Recently, many Americans were outraged by the decision of officials from United Arab Emirates to mandate forced breastfeeding for the first two years of a childs life. We knew that forcing someone to breastfeed, regardless of the benefits of breastfeeding, infringed on their personal right to make choices about their own bodies. Yet, some people fail to recognize that vaccination, the injection of foreign substances into ones body, should also be a choice. [5] Reason #2: The Flu Vaccine is Ineffective The most recent statistics, based on scientific studies published by well-known media channels such as USA Today and The Huffington Post, demonstrate the flu vaccines inability to prevent the flu. Contrary to what vaccine manufacturers want us to believe, the flu vaccine will not make us healthier. An article published on the website for USA Today stated, This seasons flu vaccine was almost completely ineffective in people 65 and older. One source from Vanderbilt Universitys School of Medicine stated, Everyone at CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting was scratching their heads over this. [6] A similar article published by The Huffington Post reported an overall effectiveness rate of only 59 percent. [7] Older adults are not the only group of people who experience few benefits from the flu vaccine. The CDC itself, when answering the question How effective is the flu vaccine in children? on its website, admits that reduced benefits of flu vaccine are often found in studies of young children, especially those under two years of age, the very age group targeted by this vaccine mandate. [8] Influenza and similar illnesses can be caused by over 200 to 300 viruses, and some research indicates that vaccines may be most effective against combating influenza A and B, which comprise a mere ten percent of circulating viruses. Often, people mistake flu-like symptoms for influenza, and they dont actually have the flu. Furthermore, if you win the flu lottery, by actually contracting one of the three strains of flu that happens to be in this seasons flu vaccine, the vaccine will be worthless if your body hasnt fully responded to the vaccine (which takes two weeks) or if too much time (more than three months) has passed between vaccination and viral exposure. [9] [10] Reason #3: The Flu Vaccine is Dangerous According to the CDC, the flu vaccine contains thimerosal, aluminum, antibiotics, egg protein, aborted human fetal cells, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Our immune systems may be unable to combat these foreign, toxic substances, especially while under the influence of very common conditions such as high sugar intake, low vitamin D3 levels, and damaged gut lining. According to a search of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) website, in the past five years, (during the period from January 2009 until February 2014) there were 55, 578 adverse events reported to VAERS related to the flu vaccine. Of these adverse events, 7,904 affected children under the age of six. [11] Most disturbing among these numbers are the reported 47 children age five and under who died after receiving the flu vaccine during the past five years alone. Keep in mind, vaccine injuries and deaths are grossly under-reported. Less than ten percent of vaccine injuries are actually reported, which brings the likely death toll from the flu vaccine to over one hundred children per year. [12] Are There Exemptions for This Mandate? Yes, although options for parents who dont wish to vaccinate their children are limited. New York State allows medical and religious exemptions, although philosophical exemptions against vaccines are not granted. Fortunately, children who attend family day cares in peoples homes are currently exempt from the flu vaccine mandate. [13] Conclusion Families should not be forced to inject their child with toxic substances. They should not be forced to receive a vaccine that is ineffective and dangerous. They should not be forced to give up their preferred choice for quality, early childhood education and care programs in order to avoid forced vaccination. Families should be allowed to make the choices for their health and well-being that are best for their family. If your child attends day care or preschool in New York City, we urge you to contact your elected officials and tell them you are against forced vaccination for your child. In addition, you may exercise your right to choose a religious exemption from the flu vaccine mandate, or enroll your child in a family day care, where they will be exempt from mandatory vaccination against the flu. Finally, whether or not your child is affected by the latest NYC vaccine mandate, we urge you to learn about vaccine legislation where you live and research vaccine ingredients. You can download a free vaccine research guide right now to protect your child from unwanted, toxic substances contained in vaccines. RELATED: References Missy Fluegge writes for VacTruth.org where this first appeared. 