Vaccine Safety
The vaccine program in the United States has had a very positive impact on public health by preventing and reducing the outbreak of diseases. However, the current system for monitoring vaccine safety is inadequate and there is not enough coordination and not enough effort to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying vaccine-related adverse events. Due to the continued concerns regarding vaccine safety, I have introduced and supported legislation that calls for stronger health precautions, further study, and greater data collection.
The Vaccine Safety Study Act works to increase public confidence in vaccines by
- Instructing the National Institutes of Health to conduct a study of health outcomes, such as autism, in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations;
- Evaluating whether exposure to vaccines, or their components, are associated with autism spectrum disorders, chronic conditions, or other neurological conditions.
Mercury in Vaccines
In addition to making sure our vaccines are safely regulated, I have introduced three bills to monitor the ingredients in our vaccines, focusing specifically on mercury. It is commonly known that mercury is harmful to the developing central nervous systems of fetuses and infants; this is why one of the bills I sponsor is the Mercury-Free Vaccines Act. This bill strictly prohibits infants and fetuses to receive vaccines containing mercury, as well as continually working to phase mercury out of all vaccines in the future.
Legislation
04/25/13 - HR 1757, Vaccine Safety Study Act (sponsored by Rep. Posey and cosponsored by Rep. Maloney)
06/02/09 - H.R. 2617, Mercury Free Vaccines Act of 2009
06/22/07 - H.R. 2832, Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Population Act of 2007
04/20/07 - H.R. 1973, Vaccine Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act of 2007 (Rep. Weldon)
02/08/07 - H.R. 881, Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2007 (Rep. Weldon)
08/01/2006 - H.R. 5887, To improve vaccine safety research, and for other purposes (Rep. Weldon)
More on Vaccine Safety
Legislation Introduced to Require First Comparative Study of Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated Populations
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) joined actors, activists, and parents Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey as well as hundreds of people from all across the country for the “Green Our Vaccines Rally” on the National Mall today. Rep. Maloney has led efforts on Capitol Hill to address concerns surrounding vaccine safety and the link between vaccines and autism.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced the “Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2007” (H.R. 2832), legislation that would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a comprehensive comparative study of vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, which may resolve the controversy about the possible link between autism and mercury or other vaccine components (click here for text of the legislation).
WASHINGTON, DC – Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Tom Osborne (R-NE) introduced new legislation today that would require the National Institutes of Health to conduct a comprehensive comparative study of vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, which may resolve the controversy about the possible link between autism and mercury or other vaccine components (Text of legislation).
WASHINGTON, DC – At a press conference Wednesday morning, U.S. Reps. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced a bill that would give responsibility for the nation’s vaccine safety to an independent agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, removing most vaccine safety research from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, the CDC has responsibility for both vaccine safety and promotion, which is an inherent conflict of interest increasingly garnering public criticism.
WASHINGTON, DC - At a news conference today to discuss developments in the possible link between vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal and autism, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) announced that she is drafting legislation that would mandate the federal government to conduct a more thorough, scientific study of mercury and autism. The proposed study would compare the incidence of autism in the general population with incidence of autism in a comparison group - identified populations in which children are not vaccinated for religious or personal beliefs.