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It's unclear if the two lawmakers know what messenger RNA is exactly:
Two Republican lawmakers in Idaho have introduced a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for anyone in the state to administer mRNA-based vaccines—namely the lifesaving and remarkably safe COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. If passed as written, it would also preemptively ban the use of countless other mRNA vaccines that are now in development, such as shots for RSV, a variety of cancers, HIV, flu, Nipah virus, and cystic fibrosis, among others.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols of Middleton and Rep. Judy Boyle of Midvale, both staunch conservatives who say they stand for freedom and the right to life. But their bill, HB 154, proposes that "a person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid [mRNA] technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state." If passed into law, anyone administering lifesaving mRNA-based vaccines would be guilty of a misdemeanor, which could result in jail time and/or a fine.
While presenting the bill to the House Health & Welfare Committee last week, Nichols said their anti-mRNA stance stems from the fact that the COVID-19 vaccines were initially allowed under emergency use authorizations (EUAs) from the Food and Drug Administration, not the agency's full regulatory approval. "We have issues that this was fast-tracked," she told fellow lawmakers, according to reporting from local news outlet KXLY.com.
The EUAs for the two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines were issued in December 2020, and the FDA has subsequently granted full approval to both (Pfizer-BioNTech's in August 2021 and Moderna's in January 2022). This was pointed out to Nichols in the hearing last week.
[...] There have been rare reports of adverse events, including blood clots and inflammation of the heart muscle and lining (myocarditis and pericarditis). However, these problems are very rare, and, in the case of myocarditis and pericarditis, they tend to be mild. Independent health experts who advise the FDA and CDC have consistently determined that the risk of developing these conditions does not outweigh the benefits of vaccination.
[...] With the massive success of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, expectations are high that the platform can be used to target a wide variety of other infectious and non-infectious diseases. Moderna, for instance, has a wide pipeline of mRNA-based vaccines in the works. Already this year, the company reported findings from a late-stage clinical trial indicating their mRNA-based vaccine against RSV (respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus) was highly effective. RSV is a common respiratory virus that can be deadly to older adults and young children.
In Idaho, it's unclear if Nichols and Boyle's bill will make it through the committee and, further, into law. However, its introduction fits into a worrying trend by conservative lawmakers for attacking lifesaving vaccination and evidence-based medicine, generally.
(Score: -1, Troll) by cykros on Wednesday February 22, @02:31PM (10 children)
Remarkably safe may be an overstatement (.004% fatalities induced by a vaccine against a disease that is little more than a case of the flu to the healthy is still worth considering), but lifesaving is probably accurate. It is, after all, do NO harm, not do less harm than good. Weighing the risks and rewards here is for the patient, not the doctor, to decide.
Banning mandates on it, absolutely, you've got my support.
Banning it entirely?
Sorry, you've entered the realm of the drug warrior, and the idea that you're talking about doing this motivated by a love of freedom is just frankly bizarre.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Opportunist on Wednesday February 22, @02:39PM
Aside of some anecdotic personal experience of a former Ironman participant that now suffers from long Covid and can't even get up a flight of stairs without needing some rest, it's not exactly "just a bit more than a flu" even for healthy people. At least I don't know any flu that has lasting effects for the majority of people who caught it.
That aside, I do think people should have the right to choose whether they want to take medication, including vaccines, or not. If someone prefers horse deworming agents instead or as far as I'm concerned the aid of crystal healing, more power to them. But outlawing a medical practice that has been shown to have positive results is ... ridiculous.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by tangomargarine on Wednesday February 22, @02:57PM
By that metric, no vaccine would ever clear the bar. Even if it doesn't kill anybody, there will always be some people who have moderate-to-severe side effects afterwards.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by jelizondo on Wednesday February 22, @03:26PM (1 child)
mRNA vaccines are not only used against COVID, they are in clinical trials [nature.com] (started pre-pandemic) for influenza, rabies, HIV and Zika.
So in the future, they are banning not anti-COVID vaccines, but against many other viral infections.
It reminds me of legislating pi [forbes.com] to be 3.2
I think we are too stupíd to survive.
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Thursday February 23, @12:39AM
making pi exactly 3.2 can be done.
but it makes the rest of the reals go totally irrational on us.
can't be helped.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DannyB on Wednesday February 22, @03:43PM (1 child)
You shouldn't be forced to be vaccinated. But if you are not, then you should stay home and not go out in public. You are a menace to public health.
Schools have required vaccinations of all students since long before I was born.
Back when America was great, we got the entire planet vaccinated against polio and wiped out a disease that if you survived it, would literally cripple you and put you in a wheelchair for life.
While Republicans can get over Trump's sexual assaults, affairs, and vulgarity; they cannot get over Obama being black.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday February 23, @04:48AM
Er...no. Polio was *very nearly* wiped out, but there have been isolated outbreaks in parts of the world ever since.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio#Eradication [wikipedia.org]
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 22, @03:48PM
I'd agree that there's more than enough evidence that the Pfizer covid-19 mRNA vaccine does cause heart problems in some people. While the Astra Zeneca can cause blot clots.
BUT based on the deaths covid-19 is not similar to a case of flu. At least not the usual seasonal flu. It's more like a case of pandemic flu - the sort that kills more people.
If it were "just another flu" the florists wouldn't have been selling as many funeral flowers, nor would the mortuaries be as busy.
If you can't even notice such obvious evidence, go keep your head in the sand.
I personally knew a few people who died due to covid-19 in the past few years. In my entire life I don't personally know anyone who died of flu. So while covid-19 was not ebola level of deadly it was definitely more deadly than the usual flu.
Also after most people in my country got vaccinated, the death rates went down by 2 magnitudes. So the vaccines work. And yes the Gov has to kinda deceive the people to imply that the vaccines are 100% safe otherwise too many stupid people won't take them and there'd be more people dead.
The truth is there's no 100% safe. Even if you just poked a hole in 6 billion people and don't inject anything there'd probably be at least hundreds or thousands of people dead due to that. Some people actually faint when holes are poked in them, or after seeing needles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflex_syncope#Vasovagal [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 5, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday February 22, @03:51PM
The oncologist who administered my chemotherapy would disagree.
(Score: 5, Informative) by PinkyGigglebrain on Wednesday February 22, @09:26PM
Says someone who didn't loose a "healthy" parent, spouse, child, best friend, etc. to COVID 19.
Be thankful you were so lucky this time.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Thursday February 23, @08:32PM
Your ignorance is pitiful. That "little more than the flu" disease blinded one of my healthy 35 year old daughter's eyes, and she spent days in the hospital from it. Most of her eyesight returned. But OVER A MILLION AMERICANS died from it and it was the third leading cause of death for two years.
Are you lost, little one? I'd link Truth Social for you but I don't know the URL and don't care to. I'm sure you know how to get to Fox.
Some of you people really piss me off.
Carbon, The only element in the known universe to ever gain sentience