Talking Point #15 - Did you get Informed Consent?

Why aren't pediatricians practicing this? Informed consent is an ethical and legal requirement for medical treatment.

October is Vaccine Injury Awareness Month, and with Alexis Lorenze’s story of vaccine injury going viral on social media, it’s time to update the VaxSafety.org website, this Substack, and my new Instagram! I’ll be posting 60 talking points that break this conversation into easily digestible parts, making it accessible for everyone, even kids. So, let’s put on our black ribbons for awareness and spread the word. Feel free to share widely, and check back anytime for updates, as I’ll be adding more information as needed.

Did you know many pediatricians do not practice informed consent when administering vaccines?

Many pediatricians today do not fully practice informed consent when administering vaccines. This means parents may not always receive comprehensive information about the risks, benefits, side effects, and ingredients before vaccines are given.

The principle of informed consent is rooted in The Nuremberg Code, a 10-point statement designed to define the ethics & limits of permissible medical experimentation on human beings. It was developed in August 1947 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Germany, by a panel of American judges during hearings involving 23 Nazi doctors accused of conducting experiments on humans in concentration camps during World War II. One of its key points is the voluntary, informed consent of human subjects, emphasizing that individuals must fully understand what they are agreeing to.

The 10 points of the Nuremberg Code are:

1. Voluntary consent of the human subject in the experimentation is absolutely essential.

2. The study's results should yield meaningful results that benefit society, be unprocurable by other methods or means of study, and not be random or unnecessary in scope and nature.

3. Any experimentation should be designed and based on the results of animal experimentation, taking into consideration the knowledge of the natural history of the issue under study that the results will justify the completion of the experimentation.

4. The methods used in the study should be conducted to avoid any unnecessary physical or mental suffering or injury to the subjects or subjects taking part in the study.

5. No experimentation should be conducted where there is a prior reason to believe that disabling injury or death will occur, with the exception being if the experimental scientists conducting the study also serve as subjects in the study.

6. The degree of risk that subjects of the study undertake should never exceed the risk determined by the humanitarian importance of the issue under study.

7. All proper preparations should be made, and proper facilities provided to protect the subject or subjects of the study against any possibility of injury, disability, or death.

8. All experiments should be conducted by persons qualified to do so. Through all stages of the experiment, all possible efforts should be taken to ensure the highest degree of skill and care are maintained.

9. At any point during the experiment, every human subject should be permitted to bring the experimentation to an end should the subject deem that they have reached the point where continuation of the experiment appears to the subject to no longer be possible.

10. As the experiment progresses, the scientist in charge must be in a state of mind that, should they deem that the continuation of the experiment could result in injury, disability, or death to the subject, the experiment will be terminated.

Informed consent isn’t just a historical concept—it’s essential today, especially regarding medical interventions like vaccinations. Before any medical treatment, including vaccines, patients have the right to be informed about all potential risks and benefits. Unfortunately, many doctors do not provide this information adequately, often only offering a simplified Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) instead of the full package insert, which contains much more detail.

When I asked our pediatrician for the full vaccine package insert, I was initially refused. After some persistence, I finally received the inserts weeks later. This experience highlights the importance of being proactive and insisting on full transparency from healthcare providers.

As the American Medical Association states, "Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so they can make informed decisions." It's crucial for parents to exercise this right and ensure they are comfortable with any medical treatment their child receives.

Were you fully informed about your child's vaccine risks and benefits? Don't hesitate to ask for detailed information and make decisions that align with what's best for your family. Things to consider in becoming fully informed:

• What is the risk of getting the disease I’m getting vaccinated for?

• How many people die per year from that disease?

• What are the benefits of getting the vaccine?

• Can I still catch the disease if I get the vaccine?

• Is it a live virus vaccine that sheds?

• What are the side effects?

• Did I review the clinical trials?

• How long was the clinical trial held?

• What are the ingredients? Are they safe?

• Do you know what to do if you have a reaction?

• Do you know how to report a reaction?

You can grab my 6-step guide to Informed Consent here: https://shop.beacons.ai/lilmthfr/6f493de4-2bdd-4960-801c-d7d6c6ec746c

References:

• Britannica, Nuremberg Code: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nuremberg-Code
  

• American Medical Association, Code of Ethics: https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2019-06/code-of-medical-ethics-chapter-2.pdf
  

• Informed Consent – The Essential Guide to Childhood Vaccination: https://truthfilessite.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/informed-consent-the-essential-guide-to-childhood-vaccination/