While I do believe that there are several modifications that need to be made to the current Regulations for the Immunization of School Children in Virginia, my comments here are focused on my opposition to the possibility of adding the COVID 19 shots to the required vaccines since that is the most concerning problem at the moment.

The goal of the VDH should be to make rational, scientifically sound decisions concerning the Regulations for the Immunization of School Children in Virginia. In order to accomplish this, it is imperative that everyone at the Virginia Department of Health including State Health Commissioner, Dr. Colin Greene, and the Secretary of Health & Human Resources, John Littel, understand and acknowledge the FACT that COVID 19 shots and boosters do NOT stop individuals from being infected with COVID and do NOT stop those individuals from spreading the disease to others. It is now well known from studies and data that prove that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals get and spread COVID to others. The only claimed benefit of the COVID 19 shots is that they provide some level of personal protection (for a limited time) for at risk individuals by reducing their chances of serious illness, hospitalization, and death (however, it is noteworthy that the majority of covid deaths are now among the vaccinated and boosted). Since COVID 19 shots do not stop spread and are for personal protection only, the oft repeated slogan that “one must get vaccinated in order to protect others” is NOT true but has been used to justify mandates and manipulate people into getting shots that they do not medically need or want. This fact alone makes it clear that requiring or mandating COVID 19 shots for anyone is unscientific and irrational and should not be a position that the VDH takes.

In addition, all personnel at the Virginia Department of Health should know and acknowledge that the risk for bad outcomes from a COVID 19 infection is highly age stratified with the elderly and those with comorbidities having the highest risk. COVID 19 has a 99.8+% survival rate for most people with many having mild symptoms – this has been true throughout the entire pandemic – even before the COVID 19 shots were available. Most healthy school age children have mild symptoms from a COVID infection and are at virtually zero risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Studies indicate that the majority of school age children (up to 90%) have already had COVID 19 and therefore have natural immunity and will receive no benefit from the COVID 19 shots but only potential risks. Parents of at-risk school age children may decide to get their child the COVID 19 shots if they determine it will benefit them by providing some personal protection from serious outcomes if and when they get infected by either vaccinated or unvaccinated people. Thinking or suggesting that requiring healthy children (or adults) to get COVID 19 shots will somehow protect at risk children or adults is a falsehood and should be recognized as such and be rejected as a justification for requiring COVID 19 shots. There is no justification for adding the COVID 19 shots to the immunization schedule for school attendance and it must be left up to the parents to determine if a COVID 19 shot is in the best interest of their child.

In order to make rational, scientifically sound, moral and ethical decisions about whether or not to add COVID 19 shots to the immunization requirements for school attendance it must be acknowledged that there have been thousands of individuals, including school age children, who have had serious adverse reactions, suffered injuries and died from these shots. Medical professionals and laypersons know that all medical interventions have both benefits and risks that must be weighed when deciding whether to consent to treatments and COVID 19 shots are no different. It is extremely disturbing and should be to the Virginia Department of Health that the only allowed viewpoint surrounding the COVID 19 shots is that they are “safe and effective” and adverse reactions, injuries and deaths are mostly being ignored with a few exceptions. No medical intervention is without risk and to not be allowed to freely discuss this matter with regard to the COVID 19 shots is just wrong. To make a decision on medical interventions, informed consent must be given, it is now known that the federal health agencies knew that the COVID 19 vaccines would not stop infection or transmission and they also knew of injuries, such as, but not limited to myo/pericarditis caused by the COVID 19 shots and still approved and pushed and continue to mandate these shots for healthy young college and military age people who are most at risk to suffer myopericarditis injuries but are at statistically zero risk from a COVID infection. This is unethical and immoral and denies science. There is very alarming and growing short term safety concerns and evidence that many adverse reactions, serious illnesses and even deaths have occurred as a result of the COVID 19 shots. Most importantly, when children and young people are involved it must be acknowledged and should weigh heavily that there are ZERO long term safety data studies – there cannot be because the shots have only been available to young people and children for a very short time. It defies common sense and is intellectually dishonest to assume that there will be NO long-term safety problems associated with the COVID 19 shots. An honest, ethical, responsible and just plain old common sense assessment of the benefits and risks of the COVID 19 shots versus risk from COVID infections must lead to a conclusion that these COVID 19 shots should not be required or mandated for anyone, especially healthy young people, who have their whole lives ahead of them and therefore have the most to lose if in the long term the COVID 19 shots cause health problems. but rather must be a choice since there is potential life altering serious injuries and even death as a risk. With all of the concerning data and studies that we have on the safety of the COVID 19 shots, it is inexplicable that the VDH would ever consider adding COVID 19 shots to the required immunizations for school age children (or anyone for that matter).  If VDH refuses to acknowledge that there has been injuries and deaths caused by the COVID 19 shots they have no business telling anyone to get the shots. Please look into the injuries, illnesses and deaths caused by the COVID 19 shots by viewing the VAERS data for these shots (one source is the openvaers.com). Also, to view stories of people (including children) who have been injured or killed by the shots please go to react19.org