A local conservative organization is calling on Missouri's elected officials to immediately stop COVID vaccinations due to concerns about efficacy and health.
“Thousands of Missourians were unconstitutionally forced to get the one or two-phase shots and subsequent boosters, not by choice, but under the threat of losing their job and not being allowed to attend school,” wrote Freedom Principle MO President Byron Keelin in his Feb. 21 letter. “As a result, many of these individuals have suffered side effects, long-term injuries, and even death as the result of these experimental shots.”
Freedom Principle MO is a membership-based pro-citizen, Missouri First 501(c)4 organization.
"We're seeing an increase in memberships because people see us fighting the establishment and fighting for conservative principles like individual medical freedom and to stop election fraud," Keelin said.
Keelin's letter was addressed to Gov. Parson, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Acting Director Paula Nickelson, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, and eight GOP members of the Missouri legislature.
“There isn't a law mandating it but they're encouraging people to get vaccinated,” Keelin told the St. Louis Record. “There are Public Service Announcements talking about how the shot will prevent COVID when actually that's misleading. There are still mandates by employers because the legislature failed to act last session.”
The U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System reports 30,000 deaths and more than 50,000 permanent disabilities related to the vaccine worldwide, according to a research study called Serious Adverse Events of Special Interest Following mRNA Vaccination in Randomized Trials published by the Social Science Research Network.
“The Governor had an opportunity to put a stop to this earlier when legislators called for a special session in 2021 to address this public health emergency, but he chose not to act,” Keelin said in an interview. “We are hoping the legislature will do something this year and not cave to special interests like the Senate leadership did in 2022.”
The Freedom Principle MO is also asking Bailey to join Florida in investigating alleged consumer fraud and price gauging by Pfizer.
Pfizer announced recently a 400 percent increase in the price of its mRNA COVID vaccine after a CDC panel recommended adding COVID shots to children and adolescents’ annual immunization schedule, according to a press release.
“There is some potential legislation in the House but our Speaker of the House is blocking this because he doesn't want the fanfare this could potentially cause so he is bowing down to that special interest but we're hopeful that something will get through the House and Senate this session,” Keelin said.
Missouri's Speaker of the House is Dean Plocher, a Republican.
The proposed legislation that’s currently pending includes Senate Bill 201, which has been referred to the Emerging Issues Committee, and House Bill 700 for which an executive committee hearing is scheduled this week.
“Senate Bill 201 would actually ban the mandate from employers, childcare centers, public institutions, and other entities,” Keelin said. "HB 700 would prohibit the mandating of the shot."
Pfizer, which maintains offices in Chesterfield, is a member of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The St. Louis Record is owned by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.
"COVID might be over but there are reports that the next pandemic is right around the corner potentially," Keelin added. "What we want to do is make sure that our constitutional rights as individuals are not threatened by the government looking to push an untested vaccine on us ever again."