At the center of Virginia's policies around vaccines and vaccination should be a culture of informed consent.  Throughout the pandemic, we've seen countless examples of this failing to be the case both in Virginia and nationwide.  All should have full opportunities to obtain clear, unbiased information about vaccines they are considering, and the choice of whether to take them or not should be entirely up to the individual, or parent, as the case may be.

Anyone that insinuates that vaccination is without risk is speaking in falsehoods.  It should be expected that vaccine manufacturers and those who stand to profit from vaccines will try to minimize the perception of risk, and this needs to be balanced with good, honest information that is not politically motivated.

Our government should be focused on health -- providing information that illustrates strategies for healthy lifestyles and preventative measures against illnesses like COVID, of which there are many.  The focus should not be on trying to compel people to take vaccine products manufactured by pharmaceutical giants that are accompanied by mysterious efficacy and safety information, often contradicting itself and lacking coherency.

It is up to the doctor-patient relationship to keep us safe from what can be described as predatory behavior from pharmaceutical giants.  It is of utmost importance that our doctors are able to dissent, or to exempt their patients from treatments they deem unsafe for a specific case.  This doctor-patient relationship should be seen as sacred and it was deeply violated for reasons ultimately found to be unscientific during this pandemic.  Our government should protect this relationship, and should not be able to unilaterally override it because of a purported health emergency.  

Finally, these COVID vaccines should not be added to any mandatory childhood schedules.  Children are at virtually no risk for COVID.  The numbers are definitive.  There is, however, at least some established risk for myocarditis from these vaccines... and logical reason to believe there may be other risks.  Protect our children.  Do not bend to the will of pharmaceutical giants.

Thank you for your consideration,

Aaron