This bill purports to protect Idaho adults and children from the adverse effects of certain medications and vaccines using modern production techniques. In reality, it would deny protection to Idaho residents and criminalize physicians and other providers who used FDA tested and approved products produced using these techniques.
COVID was a deadly pandemic. More than 1,200,000 Americans died, with deaths peaking at more than 2000 per day. In Idaho, more than 5200 died of COVID. Many more suffered long-term complications of this infectious disease.
One of the main tools of protection was the vaccine produced during the Trump administration. It works by enhancing the body’s own immune system and was and is highly effective. Estimates are that without the rapid development and distribution of the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, another 14 million deaths would have occurred worldwide. The vaccines reduced death rate by 65%.
Another technology that would be forbidden under this bill is called CAR T-cell therapy, and manipulates immune controlling T cells. This is a potential treatment for many
rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, just to name a few. To deny treatment for these serious disorders when it becomes available is cruel.
In medicine, like almost everything in life, an individual and their family must make decisions by weighing risks and benefits. This bill takes away the right of an individual to make these life-saving decisions in partnership with their trusted medical providers.
This bill uses one case, an anecdote, to limit the use of proven life-saving technology. We sympathize with Mr. Cameron and his family, but it is a fact that the long-term complications from COVID infection are greater and significantly more common than with the COVID vaccine. To this day, many thousands of Idahoans still mourn their loved ones that died from COVID.
We believe it is governmental overreach to categorically deny Idahoans with diseases like Lupus the right to proven, life-saving therapies that are available in other states.
Give Idahoans the freedom to choose.