NO RIGHTS FOR VACCINE INJURED CHILDREN

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- TAAP

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 2:39 PM

[Vaccination-Liberation] ACTION ALERT!!!

Safe Minds has just joined the Civil Rights and Justice for Vaccine Injury Coalition Supporting Members. We must have a United front, please forward everywhere. If you'd like to include your organization, please e-mail Laura Bono at ldbono @ nc.rr.com. All individuals who would like join the Coalition Of Concerned Citizens for Civil Rights and Justice for Vaccine Injury or for more information please go to http://factsformedia.com/factsformedia/coalition.cgi

ACTION ALERT!!CONGRESS IS ABOUT TO STRIP VACCINE INJURED CHILDREN OF THEIR RIGHTS!PLEASE WRITE, CALL, E-MAIL, FAX YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AND TELL THEM:

1) The NVICP must be open to anyone who has been vaccinated since the beginning of VICA, Oct. 1, 1988.2) Any case can opt out of VICA and go to civil court at any time.3) All language regarding limiting thimerosal liability should be removed from the bill.- Sen. Frist to take VICA Bill to Conference.Let your voices be heard!8 Faxes and 8 Phone Calls Are Needed by Thursday! -

Dear Parents and Guardians;After researching the Vaccine Injury Compensation Act (VICA) that set up the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), we have no doubt that all vaccine injured children and adults must be allowed their due process, their day in court. Back in 1986, when the NVICP was first established, it was clearly meant to be an alternative program...giving families a quick, non-adversarial way to receive compensation while helping drug companies and the medical industry. Based on our findings of the program, it is certainly not quick for the majority of cases, and unfortunately is looked at as a sole remedy rather than a flexible alternative. Parents have been successful at stopping Frist from putting his legislation forth on many occasions. Now Frist is trying a new tactic. This time before his VICA legislation goes to markup, a conference will be held to discuss and agree to the provisions of the new VICA. This means the House and Senate Republicans and Democrats will be jointly agreeing to the legislation. Frist will have achieved a bi-partisan bill to take to the floor of the Senate and House. If we want our voices heard, now is the time!The conference to discuss the new VICA is to begin this Thursday, May 22, 2003. Therefore, we must act quickly to ensure that our children and future generations will be given compensation for lifetime care following a vaccine injury. Whether you are a fan of the NVICP or civil court, it makes complete sense for families to be given the option to choose between the two. To deny our children rights to their day in court is corrupt and wrong. Right now, NVICP is a lengthy process even for cases that fit into the "Table of Injuries." Some families have waited 13 years for judgment, and many feel that the Department of Justice finds every way not to compensate. Recently we were told of an autism case that prevailed in VICA in 1996, even though it did take six years to go through the program. However, once we researched the case, it was found that the case was won on a "Table Injury" of encephalitis. Autism was not a factor in the case. Regardless, we definitely feel that all cases, including autism-related cases, Table injury or not, should have the option to go to civil court at any time in the process. It's simply every person's right-to deny it is discrimination towards the most vulnerable in our society.Our most effective stance so far has been faxing to Senators and House Members. We know you're tired, and thanks so much for everyone who has continued to help. They need to be reminded that the NVICP was never meant to be the sole remedy for our children, and that we want quick compensation to help our children reach their full potential while they're still young. Every vaccine-injured person in this country, regardless of age, color, religion, or lifestyle should be given equal protection and justice under the law. Period. Here is a sample letter. Feel free to use any or all of it based on your child's disability (mercury, seizure disorder, measles entercolitis, etc.) Remember to describe your child and whether or not you currently fit into VICA's current three-year statute of limitations:Dear ___________,My name is ___. I have a vaccine injured child, ____, who is _____ years old. I currently do not fit into VICA's three year statute of limitations.My child is mercury poisoned. He received exposure to mercury far in excess of EPA Federal Safety Guidelines from his early infant immunizations and now suffers permanent neurological damage.I ask that our Government look into the problems of VICA in fair, public hearings where experts on the program can be consulted in order to make the best VICA possible. VICA should be created by the people and for the people. Not a program that is created behind closed doors by a handful of politicians. I must insist on these three provisions that will ensure parents that their vaccine-injured children will receive equal protection under the law. Without these, justice will be denied to our children-the most vulnerable in society. Parents must have:1) The NVICP will be open to anyone who has been vaccinated since the beginning of VICA, Oct. 1, 1988. Parents (for their children), or any other vaccine-injured, will have the right to file at any time. The current three-year Statute of Limitations was set up to handle catastrophic adverse events only. It has been too strict to handle cases like immune system dysfunction that manifest themselves over time with the initial insult being years before. This allows for science to direct the program. If science proves that a vaccine has caused an injury leading to a disability or death, cases should be able to be filed regardless of the amount of time that has passed. If VICA chooses to reject a case, that is fine. Then the case can move on to civil court. 2) Any case can opt out of VICA and go to civil court at any time. This gives the vaccine-injured the same justice that every other American enjoys. This allows VICA to stay as an "alternative" program as it was originally intended. It keeps VICA honest and provides incentives to manage the program in a fast, low-cost, non-adversarial way. This will also force the VICA program to focus on the science and preponderance of evidence -- Not be able to dictate to and reject claims of families based on arbitrary rules and procedures created specifically for the program. This also gives drug companies more incentive to make better products. Also if manufacturers are liable, then they have more incentive to keep VICA working as fairly and appropriately as possible.3) All language regarding thimerosal should be removed from the bill. The current language in the bill states that thimerosal is not a contaminant. We believe that it is. Keeping this language in the bill will limit parents ability to seek compensation and shields Eli Lilly from liability.Sincerely,Parent/Friend/Family member/Vaccine Injured Please fax these Senators as soon as possible but certainly before Thursday afternoon. They are reading your letters! Also, get your sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. to fax and call too. Quantity of letters certainly counts and it doesn't matter what state you are from although the constituents of these eight Senators and Congressman will carry more weight.Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone: (202) 224-3324Fax: (202) 224-4952E-mail: mailboxSen. Bill Frist (R-TN)416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone: (202) 224-3344Fax: (202) 228-1264E-mail: frist.senate.gov/contact.cfmRep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)235 Cannon House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-1314Phone: (202) 225-2976Fax: (202) 225-0697Email: dhastertRep. Richard Burr (R-NC)1526 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-3305Phone: (202) 225-2071Fax: (202) 225-2995E-mail: richard.burrnc05Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone (202) 224-2823Fax (202) 228-1683E-mail: dodd.senate.gov/webmail/Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510Phone: (202) 224-4543Fax: (202) 224-2417senatorRep. John Dingell (D-MI)2328 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-2215Phone: (202) 225-4071Fax: (202) 226-0371Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)2204 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-0530Phone: (202) 225-3976Fax: (202) 225-4099Thanks everyone. April Oakes, Lori McIlwain, and Jo Pike, VIAL (Vaccination Information and Liberation)*Laura Bono, The Right to Fight Mercury Damage CampaignLyn Redwood *The Autism Autoimmunity Project (TAAP) has formed VIAL, a new 501©4 political organization created to provide justice and civil rights to all vaccine-injured individuals. Our goal is to help educate the public and uphold constitutional rights of all persons regardless of sex, age, race, religion, or income.