Debate Over Vaccination Choice Turns Ugly

<p>Parents in favor of vaccination choice for their children converged Wednesday on the state Capitol.&nbsp;</p>

Wednesday, February 8th 2017, 6:53 pm

By: Karl Torp


Parents in favor of vaccination choice for their children converged Wednesday on the state Capitol.

They spoke out against legislation that would make vaccines necessary before a child can go to school unless they have a medical exemption.

The producer of the documentary “Vaxxed” spoke to the rally held inside the Capitol and organized by the Oklahomans for Vaccine Health Choice PAC.

The film alleges proof linking vaccines and autism was covered and destroyed by the CDC.

“It’s very hard to accept. It was hard for me to accept that we've been lied to about something that so continuously is said to be safe,” said Vaxxed producer Del Bigtree, who also came to Oklahoma to visit with lawmakers.

“The benefits far, far outweigh the risks,” said state Senator Ervin Yen, who wrote the vaccination mandate legislation.

This is the a medical doctor's third try with his legislation. Dr. Yen claims more lawmakers and medical experts are coming to his side.

He also chairs the health and human services committee which debates the legislation first.

“The opposition to my bill are even more hyped up,” Yen said.

Proof of that may have come this weekend when flyers against Yen's legislation were put on cars at several churches in Yen's district on Sunday.

On Wednesday, the state senator received a postcard depicting him as a communist leader at his Capitol office.

The drawing shows a syringe and sickle and reads “support mandatory vaccines because you're too stupid to decide for yourself.”

That postcard had no return address.

Yen said he has not received any legitimate threats.

Oklahomans for Vaccine and Health Choice-PAC wants to clarify that it is not responsible for the postcard Yen received. In a statement, the organization said:

"We did not create, nor do we endorse that image. We include our logo in every publication our PAC creates. We believe in respecting our public servants, but we will also hold them accountable for their adherence, or lack thereof, to their party's platform," wrote Liza Greve, President of Oklahomans for Vaccine and Health-PAC.

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