With the rise of businesses stating that vaccination will be required in order to use their services or frequent their establishments — and nearly 20 vaccine passport models under development in the United States — a landmark medical freedom bill needs to be supported and passed in North Carolina!
On April 13, 2021, Representative Larry Pittman (R-83) introduced HB558. This bill prohibits multiple entities in North Carolina from mandating vaccines and protects citizens from discrimination based on their vaccination status. The broad-sweeping protections would apply to the Governor’s executive orders; state licensing boards; hospital patients, physicians, residents and interns; nursing home and adult home care residents; employers of the state and private business; places of public accommodation; insurance companies and the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.
The bill would require prior written consent before any individual’s vaccine information is put into the North Carolina Immunization Registry, the statewide health information exchange known as NC HealthConnex, and the North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccine Management System.
HB558 also states, “All citizens have a right to expect that their personal privacy rights, particularly in the area of personal health, will be protected by this state. Therefore, the matter of whether a person chooses for oneself, for one’s children, or for anyone for whom that person stands in loco parentis, to receive a vaccine or not to receive it, shall remain a private matter, not to be violated. Because the requirement of a written statement of the moral, philosophical, or personal beliefs and opposition to the immunization requirements would violate those privacy rights, no such statement shall be required of anyone, nor shall the question of whether such an affected person has received an immunization be asked of anyone as a condition of attending any college, university, public or private school (Pre-K through 12), or child care facility.”
The bill protects privacy by adding the following new section: No health care provider authorized to administer a COVID-19 vaccination in this state may require a patient, as a condition of receiving the vaccination, to agree, orally or in writing, to any of the following:
- Permission to use or disclose the patient’s protected health information, as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, or personal identifying information for marketing or other business purposes.
- Waiver of any of the rights guaranteed under sections 261 through 264 of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 16 104-191, as amended, and any federal regulations adopted to implement these sections, as amended, except for what is necessary to safely administer the vaccination.
North Carolina has a very strong biotech and pharmaceutical industry presence, so it’s especially important to pass proactive legislation that protects its citizens from coercive measures. Send a pre-drafted, customizable email now to your legislators today urging them to stand up for your rights and pass HB558!
Note: Thank you to North Carolina nonprofit PAVE for working with Rep. Pittman to get this important bill filed. For more information on PAVE, visit https://vaccineeducation.org/.