Idaho Lawmakers Seek to Make Administering COVID Vaccine a Crime
BOISE, Idaho — A pair of Republican lawmakers in the Idaho state Legislature have introduced a bill that would make the administering of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, a crime.
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state,” says Idaho House Bill 154, introduced by state Sen. Tammy Nichols and state Rep. Judy Boyle, both Republicans.
If the bill were to advance and actually get signed into law, a person administering such a shot would be charged with a misdemeanor.
During a presentation on the bill to the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee last week, Nichols told her fellow lawmakers that she and Boyle “had issues” with the vaccines being “fast-tracked” during the pandemic.
She and Boyle are also concerned about reports of “blood clots and heart issues” associated with them.
At least one lawmaker, state Rep. Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, pushed back at Nichols’ assertions over the fast-tracking of the vaccines, saying that she understood they’d been vetted and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
But Nichols said she’s been learning that the approval process “may not have been done like we thought it should’ve been done.”
“There are other shots we could utilize that don’t have mRNA in it,” Nichols added.
The mRNA technology was discovered in the early 1960s by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, who were seeking to develop a vaccine against the Ebola virus. It works by assisting the body in making proteins.
When it comes to the COVID vaccines, the mRNA molecule helps the body make proteins that mimic the COVID virus and aids in the body fighting off the infection.
Next up for the bill is a hearing before the committee. If it passes there, it will move on to the state House floor to be debated.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
