PIC Inaugural Meeting & Luncheon 2017

Physicians, scientists, legislators, and parents convened in Costa Mesa, California, on March 12, 2017, for Southern California’s largest vaccine safety conference, the Inaugural Meeting & Luncheon hosted by Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC). Drs. Doug Mackenzie, Cammy Benton, and Michelle Veneziano were the event MCs. PIC is a nonprofit organization that launched in 2016 after the passing of SB277, the California state law that removed informed consent by mandating children to receive a myriad of vaccines, on the same dosing schedule, in order to attend public or private school.

“We set out to unite the professional community on a more personal level and launch our educational programs to the public, and we accomplished that,” said Dr. Shira Miller, PIC founder and president. “A growing number of individuals are becoming knowledgeable about vaccine safety issues, and we’re extremely concerned about the lack of informed consent and informed refusal in vaccination procedures in California right now.”

“A growing number of individuals are becoming knowledgeable about vaccine safety issues, and we’re extremely concerned about the lack of informed consent and informed refusal in vaccination procedures in California right now.”

The conference included a members-only morning session, with physician and legal panels, followed by a second session open to the public. The physician panel of specialists included pediatricians Edmond Sarraf, Pejman Katiraei, Ken Stoller, LeTrinh Hoang, Paul Thomas, Bob Sears, Stacia Kenet, and  internist Kelly Sutton, who shared their tools for evaluating patients for vaccine adverse events.

The legal panel, which included attorneys Greg Glaser, Jacques Simon, Diane Miller, and Richard Jaffe, addressed best practices and standard of care for physicians writing medical exemptions. “I heard from many of our members that attending the meeting was invaluable to their practice,” said Dr. Miller.

“I heard from many of our members that attending the meeting was invaluable to their practice,” said Dr. Miller.

With a full house, the meeting attracted groups from both Northern and Southern California, and attendees also traveled from Canada, New York, Florida, Virginia, Washington, Oregon, Mississippi, Massachusetts and North Carolina, as the issue of vaccine safety and informed consent is of vital importance nationwide.

Jennifer DeLugach drove seven hours from Folsom, California, a suburb of Sacramento, to attend the event. “I was drawn to the conference because of the people that came together to create this organization,” she said of PIC. “We’re working together to bring back informed consent in the state of California. No matter how long it takes, we’re going to keep doing the work because SB277 is wrong. There are more and more people coming together, putting their minds together, collaborating, volunteering their time—and I am so inspired to see so many doctors and scientists standing up for what is true and right.”

“We’re working together to bring back informed consent in the state of California. No matter how long it takes, we’re going to keep doing the work because SB277 is wrong. There are more and more people coming together, putting their minds together, collaborating, volunteering their time—and I am so inspired to see so many doctors and scientists standing up for what is true and right.”

Highlights from the event included an awards presentation, held during a health-conscious organic and gluten free luncheon, in honor of the California legislators who voted No on SB277. In appreciation and support for these legislators who acted on behalf of their constituents to uphold Californians’ right to refuse medical treatments, PIC presented its “Excellence in Ethics” awards to Senator Joel Anderson, Assemblyman Travis Allen, and Assemblyman Matthew Harper. Also prior to delivering her speech on rules of evidence when investigating vaccines, Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, was honored with a “Leadership Excellence” award for her longstanding commitment to safeguarding informed consent in vaccination.

Speaker Barbara Loe Fisher, president and co-founder of the National Vaccine Information Center, received a standing ovation for her eloquent presentation defending the human right to exercise informed consent to vaccine risk-taking. And Dr. Gary Goldman, keynote speaker, drew a tremendous crowd as he presented his varicella (chickenpox) vaccine findings and whistleblower experience as a lead research analyst in the Antelope Valley Varicella Active Surveillance Project.

Kindergarten teacher Paula Husovsky, whose daughter suffered injury from the chickenpox vaccine, attended the Inaugural Meeting & Luncheon specifically to hear Dr. Goldman’s keynote address, where he described how the national chickenpox vaccine program has altered the epidemiology of shingles, and ways in which the CDC manipulated data to conceal the unwanted outcomes that occurred. The CDC published all of his studies with positive results but prohibited the publication of any negative effects, prompting Dr. Goldman to resign. “It’s important and it needs to get out to other parents,” said Husovsky. “I just wish that we could get this information into our school systems.”

“It’s important and it needs to get out to other parents,” said Husovsky. “I just wish that we could get this information into our school systems.”

One attendee flew in from San Francisco to participate in the meeting. “I thought that Dr. Paul Thomas was really great, and I also liked the herd immunity lecture,” she said, pointing to Dr. Tetyana Obukhanych, who launched the PIC Quiz series and discussed how vaccines mandated by SB277 for school attendance fail in their purported goal of herd immunity and the prevention of disease transmission. Guests also appreciated Glaser’s presentation, which responded to frequently asked questions about SB277, from a legal perspective.

Dr. Miller had a lively interview with Candace Lightner, founder of MADD, about leadership and cultural change. “She was amazing in the way she showed how much one can accomplish when one is 110% dedicated to one’s cause,” said Dr. Sarraf, from Los Angeles.

“She was amazing in the way she showed how much one can accomplish when one is 110% dedicated to one’s cause,” said Dr. Sarraf, from Los Angeles.

The Inaugural Meeting & Luncheon marked the beginning of PIC’s upcoming educational programs. “We are advocating for scientific integrity and the right to informed consent for vaccination, just like all other medical procedures,” said Dr. Miller. “Thus far, our organization has provided 600 families with legal guidance on SB277 and 150 hours of legal guidance to physicians. Our monthly immunology office hours are educating physicians, our physicians’ forum regularly provides a wealth of clinical resources, and the Coalition for Informed Consent is actively uniting organizations and businesses that support our mission to safeguard informed consent in vaccination.”

“Thus far, our organization has provided 600 families with legal guidance on SB277 and 150 hours of legal guidance to physicians. Our monthly immunology office hours are educating physicians, our physicians’ forum regularly provides a wealth of clinical resources, and the Coalition for Informed Consent is actively uniting organizations and businesses that support our mission to safeguard informed consent in vaccination.”

Physicians for Informed Consent is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt resource for doctors, scientists, and parents who are pro informed consent in vaccination. To join PIC or to donate, visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org.