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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 20, 2019 11:15 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Mike Folmer |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Informed Consent |
| The ability to make decisions about what goes into our bodies is a basic human right. This personal autonomy is challenged whenever government requires mandatory vaccinations. Indeed, sticking needles into a human body is the very definition of intrusive. For this reason, I will be introducing “Informed Consent” legislation to require patients and parents be given information before they consent to vaccinations. Consistent with my successful medical cannabis initiative, I believe all medical decisions should be between a patient and their physician – including the right to informed consent or informed refusal in the use of vaccines. My goal is to ensure people are first given an explanation of the potential benefits and the potential risks whenever a vaccine is administered. Only then are people able to exercise their basic human right to decide whether or not to allow intrusion into their bodies. Informed consent is already required for a number of medical treatments and procedures: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and blood transfusions. My legislation would extend patients’ rights to informed consent to vaccinations by requiring them to be informed of the potential risks and benefits of the vaccinations they are being given. More importantly, my legislation will require patients be given this information prior to their consenting to receive a vaccination. I believe Informed Consent should, at a minimum, mean the person from whom consent is being sought the opportunity to understand what they are being given, what the risks and benefits are, and other potential consequences of the procedure they are facing. I hope you will join me in this pro-patient proposal. |