November 16, 2007

Governor Martin O'Malley
Office of the Governor
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925

Dear Governor O'Malley,

On behalf of the citizens of Maryland, Citizens' Council on Health Care requests that you take immediate action to put an end to the State's Attorney Glenn Ivey's apparent plan to round-up 1,100 Prince Georges County parents who have chosen not to vaccinate their children.

While many parents freely choose vaccination for their children, the federal government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a witness to the fact that vaccines can also harm children.

Vaccination is a medical procedure. Parents must continue to have the right to protect their children, and to make medical treatment decisions for their children without government coercion or threat of imprisonment. Parents do not, as Bob Ross, head of the parent-teachers association at Surrattsville High School in Clinton, claimed, 'have a responsibility to help protect the public health.' ("Md Schools Get Tough on Vaccinations," Baltimore Sun, 11/16/07).

Individual liberty, freedom of choice, and the parent's right of informed consent must not be suspended in the State of Maryland.

Thus, we are requesting that you use the power of your office—and this attempt to suspend individual liberty and parent rights—to not only pledge to parents your overriding support for a legally guaranteed right of philosophical objection to vaccination, but to also immediately suspend the summons to Court tomorrow that has been issued to these parents.

Sincerely,

Twila Brase
President
Citizens' Council on Health Care
1954 University Ave. W. Ste. 8
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-646-8935 day
651-645-7727 eve