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Jerri Johnson
*OAH_RuleComments.OAH
Immunization Rules docket 0900-30570
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 1:48:52 PM
Response to IOM.docx
Response to MDH comments on the Institute of Medicine study on vaccine safety
Jerri Johnson
Public Relations Coordinator
National Health Freedom Coalition'
651 688 6515
[email protected]
Response to MDH clarification on Institute of Medicine Report
MDH is correct that the IOM report that Ms. Diane Peterson was quoting was different than the
report that Ms. Jerri Johnson was referring to. The 2012 IOM report Ms. Johnson was referring
to was entitled “Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality.” This reported examining
many studies on vaccine safety concluded:
(The committee finds that evidence convincingly supports a causal relationship between some
vaccines and some adverse events…evidence favors rejection of five vaccine-adverse event
relationships… However, for the majority of cases (135 vaccine-adverse event pairs), the
evidence was inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship.”
http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Adverse-Effects-of-Vaccines-Evidence-and-Causality.aspx
This report was an honest admission of the fact that we need more study on the adverse effects
of vaccines. In essence it said that in most cases, we can not say that vaccines cause adverse
effects. But neither can we say for sure that they don’t. There is enough evidence in 135
categories pointing to serious adverse effects that the IOM could not say that the evidence
favors rejection of a causal relationship.
Therefore, it is not reasonable to employ the police power of the state to require more vaccines
when more clarity is needed on their safety.
For an indepth look at the IOM report referred to by Ms. Diane Peterson, “The Childhood
Immunization Schedule and Safety,” see the submission by Dr. Catherine DeSoto, comment
#180.
Jerri Johnson
Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota