A Pox on Springfield

Freedom is taking a giant step backward in Illinois.

Even the liberal Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board has come out against the latest mandate from Springfield, requiring parents to have their children vaccinated against chicken pox.

Believe me, I am not taking a stand in support of this childhood menace. About 100 small kids and even adults pass away each year as a result of the illness. From personal experience, I can relate the pain and shame that accompanied contracting chicken pox at age 24.

It was the most miserable week of my life. I was bathed in calamine lotion twice daily and resembled a pink statue. Taking six sick days did not endear me to my employer. When finally I was able to return to work, my co-workers poked fun at me mercilessly.

"We knew all along you were really ten years old."

Yes, chicken pox is not fun.

They even took a picture of me for a medical journal.

But my parents never faced state penalties for not having me vaccinated.

Rather than allow her children to attend public school, which only admits vaccinated students, a good friend of ours who lives in Illinois chose to home school her six kids. Whether this new law might require her to violate her conscience and whether parents might face disciplinary action from the state Department of Family and Child Services remains to be seen.

But there certainly is the appearance of impropriety in this decision. Of the 18 active members sitting on Illinois’ Immunization Advisory Committee, five of them have some sort of financial links to pharmaceutical giant, Merck, the company that manufactures the chicken pox vaccine.

Making matters worse, Governor Ryan vetoed legislation that would have prohibited those with financial ties to vaccine manufacturers from serving on the state board. Ryan, himself, had received 9 thousand dollars in donations from Merck,

There are two points to ponder, here.

Whether the use of this vaccine, which bears its own risks of contamination and allergic response, is medically warranted. Might it cause chicken pox to break out at an advanced age when it can prove more dangerous to the victim?

And…

2) Whether the state should nullify parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children.

These are two serious issues that deserve national consideration.

One final observation. Money certainly does call the tune in Springfield. That seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

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