Maine vaccine ballot vote"No On One" - letters to the editor

Maine Nurses for Vaccines - two letters to the editor published in The Times Record

https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/10/letters-nurses-come-out-against-question-1/

Very proud to be one of the two wrriters who published these letters, to support the No On One campaign, to support Maine's vaccine compliance law.

One of theses two letters was written by me and Nancy Tucker wrote the other - two nurses "Maine Nurses For Vaccines", published in The Times Record newspaper, now merged with the Portland Press Herald.

Vote no to support kids’ health

While the world’s news media reports several times a day about the status of the deadly epidemic caused by the coronavirus, it is incredulous to me that, at the same time, Maine voters are faced with a ballot question about whether or not children should be protected from communicable diseases by receiving vaccines. No doubt, at some future date, a vaccine will be available to stop the spread of coronavirus, just like vaccines can prevent the spread of influenza, measles, mumps, chickenpox, whooping cough and polio.

Nevertheless, the wrong-minded supporters who want Mainers to vote “yes” on Question 1, are intending to call back Maine’s immunization compliance law. Moreover, these anti-vaxxers are irresponsibly spreading misinformation about the ballot question for the purpose of confusing the public. Rather than inform the public about the purpose of vaccines, the proponents of the anti-vaccine movement are circulating misleading campaign signs about “big pharma.” Voters must understand that Question One is not about “big pharma.” Instead, the issue is about life-saving vaccines. In fact, vaccines build immunity to communicable diseases. Moreover, Maine’s vaccine law will protect medical exemptions for kids and adults who have suppressed immune systems and it expands the number of health providers who can order the qualified exemptions.

The purpose of Maine’s vaccine compliance law is to protect our kids health and reduce the risk of communicable diseases for everybody. As a nurse and a mother, I trust the advice of our physicians and pediatric nurse practitioners who are supporting the “Vote No on Question 1,” on March 3, to support our kids’ health.

From Juliana L’Heureux,  Topsham, Maine

Letter to the editor - Freedom to infect shouldn’t be on the table

I believe using Big Pharma as an excuse to undo the vaccination law passed in 2019, is ridiculous. Wouldn’t the drug companies make more money off of sick people, rather than vaccinations? As an RN, I took care of children who died from measles and chickenpox back in the ’70s. We should not take for granted that we do not get certain diseases because of vaccinations. It is a responsibility We all have to protect all people, especially children, elderly and those with compromised immune systems. My daughter went through toxic chemotherapy for bone cancer as a child. My fear was her getting near someone who was ill with anything, let alone chickenpox etc. Please remember why no one has polio anymore. The freedom to infect someone else should not be on the table. Vote no on Question One, please!

From Nancy Tucker, Brunswick Maine