A South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee heard conflicting testimony Tuesday regarding a bill that would require health care providers to issue specific verbal and written warnings before administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Tom Corbin, would require providers to inform patients that the vaccine is “novel,” that it “may be contaminated by the presence of fragments of bacterial plasmid DNA encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicle,” and that its long-term effects are unknown. The current version was amended to use the phrase may be contaminated rather than is contaminated.
Supporters of the bill argued that the warning is necessary to provide patients with more complete information and to ensure consumers are aware of specific concerns some researchers have raised regarding the detection of DNA fragments during the vaccine manufacturing process. Proponents stressed that the bill does not seek to remove the vaccine but simply informs the public of potential risks.
Opposing testimony was presented by medical professionals who stated that the vaccine is safe and is used globally. A pediatric critical care physician testified that she has cared for hundreds of children severely ill with COVID-19 in the ICU, but none with complications from the vaccine itself.
The subcommittee also heard from a researcher who claimed to have discovered long DNA fragments in vaccine vials and asserted that federal agencies have not sufficiently scrutinized manufacturers’ claims. He cited figures claiming a high number of deaths related to the vaccine.
Concerns were raised by opponents of the bill who argued that the contradictory expert testimony requires more information to determine the accuracy of the claims, expressing fear that an inaccurate warning could discourage people from receiving a vaccine that could potentially help them.
The bill had previously advanced to the full Medical Affairs Committee but was sent back to the subcommittee for additional testimony on its revised language. Following Tuesday’s hearing, the subcommittee advanced the bill again to the full Medical Affairs Committee, where lawmakers anticipate more testimony will be heard.
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