Dr. Paul Thomas in Oregon, prior to testifying in a committee hearing on proposed bill SB 442 to remove vaccine exemptions for children.
Health Impact News Editor CommentsDr. Paul Thomas, M.D. was born in Portland Oregon, and grew up in Southern Africa. He has a masters degree in biology, an M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School, and completed his pediatric residency at the University of California, San Diego. He is a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and also carries board certifications in Addiction Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. He started the Pediatric After-hours Clinic (now Pediatric ER) at Emanuel Children’s Hospital, where he also taught medical students and residents from 1988-1993.
Dr. Thomas is obviously knowledgeable in the area of immunization, as a practicing pediatrician and currently one of the few actual board-certified fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics residing in the State of Oregon. He took time out of his busy schedule to appear at the hearing last week before the Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care, regarding Bill SB 442, written by Oregon State Senator and physician Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, which seeks to remove all philosophical and religious exemptions to vaccines in the State of Oregon.
Here is Dr. Paul Thomas’ testimony and comments regarding his concerns about this proposed law:
Dr. Paul starts out his comments by mentioning how SB 442 will remove all philosophical and religious exemptions to vaccines, and that the only medical exemptions that would be allowed would be from “certain pre-selected medical providers.”
He states: “This is a travesty.”
Dr. Paul then stated why this bill is such a travesty:
This is powerful. This is important. This is for our children. We need to protect our children and preserve the right for freedom of choice, and the right to give informed consent when your child is about to get a vaccine.Dr. Paul then begins his testimony by stating that he represents 11,000 patients and that 500 new babies come into his practice each month wanting informed consent about vaccines.
He states that it is his responsibility as a physician to point out the risks and benefits of every medical procedure, but that this proposed bill would not allow him to do this for his patients.
Next, Dr. Paul addresses the Hepatitis B vaccine routinely given to newborn babies in hospitals. He states that the amount of aluminum contained in this vaccine is 10 to 15 times the limit allowable for infants.
He provided handouts for each committee member showing the peer-reviewed studies linking toxic aluminum exposure to brain damage and autism.
According to Dr. Paul, the only people who need the Hepatitis B vaccine are moms who are positive for Hepatitis B, which is less than 1% in Oregon and the rest of the country:
So we are going to poison the other 99%, and it is going to be mandated by this law, so that we cover that 1%. And our Ob Gyns are doing a masterful job. We know who needs the vaccine and who doesn’t.Dr. Paul also pointed out a study conducted in Norway that followed 85,000 pregnancies over 6 years which tracked folate intake and autism.
Norway only had a 1 in 1000 rate of autism, while the U.S. had a rate of 1 out of 100. As Dr. Paul looked for the differences in newborn pediatric care between the U.S. and Norway, he noticed that Norway does not give the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth like the U.S. does.
Dr. Paul then made the stunning statement that in his practice he currently has over 1000 kids at least 3 years old, and there are no new cases of autism, while nationally, his peers in pediatric care are seeing 1 out of 50 children on the autism spectrum. He tells the committee that we can greatly reduce the rate of autism by understanding that increased vaccines are in fact correlated with increased rates of autism. He referenced the 2004 CDC study that supposedly showed no link, but which now is known to show an increased link to autism among African-American boys after the release of all the data sets last year (2014).
Dr. Paul ends his brief testimony before the committee by stating that the “science is not settled” linking vaccines to autism, and that we need more studies.
Will the politicians listen? Or will they pass this bill anyway, forcing every child in Oregon who wants to attend school and receive other services to first receive forced vaccinations against the will of their parents and doctors like Dr. Paul Thomas?
Next Public Hearing on Oregon Bill SB 442
There is another public hearing scheduled on SB 442 for March 9, 2015. If you would like to tell Senator Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward how you feel about this bill, here is how to contact her:Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward
Democrat – District 17 – NW Portland/Beaverton
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1717
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-215, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.ElizabethSteinerHayward@state.or.us
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/steinerhayward
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorElizabethSteinerHayward
Other members of the Senate Committee on Health Care:
Senator Chip Shields
Democrat – District 22 – Portland
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1722 District Phone: 503-231-2564
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-421, Salem, Oregon 97301
District Address: 2104 NE 45th Ave., Portland, OR 97213
Email: Sen.ChipShields@state.or.us
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/shieldsc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/State-Senator-Chip-Shields/898399056848666
Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson
Democrat – District 25 – Gresham
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1725
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-413, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@state.or.us
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/monnesanderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorLaurieMonnesAnderson
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