Did you know that John F. Kennedy signed the first pro-Big Pharma vaccine act into law in 1962?
It was a significant piece of legislation aimed at enhancing vaccination uptake across the United States. They called it "The Vaccination Assistance Act."
The new law made vaccines available to all children under five years old, regardless of their family's financial situation. It was a result of the CDC and its partners' ravenous desire to get poison into the blood stream of Americans under the guise of "fighting vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.
They say the act was designed to "achieve as quickly as possible the protection of the population, especially of all preschool children," through intensive vaccination campaigns against four major contagious diseases: polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus.
How about the funding? It authorized a three-year program of special project grants to states, and with state approval, to local communities. These grants were used to partially fund the costs of these intensive vaccination programs, totaling $36 million ($360 million in today's dollars) over the three-year period. The funding was used for hiring extra health personnel, buying vaccines, and other related expenses.
How was it implemented? The act provided grants-in-aid to support the delivery of vaccines, specifically for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio. Smallpox vaccination was not included as it was nearly eradicated in the U.S. by this time.
Contextually, this act came at a time when there was an increased visibility of vaccination due to the development of Albert Sabin's live attenuated polio vaccine in 1961, which followed Jonas Salk's inactivated polio vaccine. The Kennedy administration was more open to Big Daddy Government involvement in health issues compared to his predecessors, which facilitated the passage of this act.
The legislation had a HUGE impact on the Pharma Industry and was part of broader efforts to ensure high vaccination coverage rates among American children. It marked the beginning of a more permanent role for federal involvement in immunization programs through the U.S. Public Health Service.
Unfortunately, the Vaccination Assistance Act of 1962 laid groundwork for future federal immunization policies. It has been reauthorized multiple times since its inception, remaining a critical means of supporting state and local health department activities in immunization.
This act was emblematic of the Kennedy administration's commitment to federal health agencies and Big Pharma, emphasizing the "importance of vaccination in preventing disease." It also sparked discussions about the role of government in healthcare, particularly in the delivery of vaccines.
Take a guess at who was instrumental in carrying JFK's vaccine baton to the Big Pharma protective status finish line in 1986. Stay tuned.