Forced Vaccinations in Hawaii? It is here!

Lingle also reminded the students that it's important to be vaccinated for both the seasonal and H1N1 flu strains.

Eventually, she said, the Department of Health and the Hawai'i National Guard would be administering swine flu vaccine to the general public statewide.

"It's not just going to be children, or course," Lingle said. "It will be everybody."

The day after the state received its first batch of H1N1 flu vaccine, a Hawaii County Council committee Tuesday advanced a resolution opposing mandatory vaccination of the populace.

The Committee on Human Services and Economic Development voted 6-1 in favor of the resolution allowing people to refuse the swine flu vaccine, or any other vaccine containing certain ingredients or of known health risk, on medical, religious or philosophical grounds.

Committee Chairwoman Emily Naeole, of Puna, sponsored the measure, which now goes to the council for final approval before being forwarded to state and federal officials. She said constituents are concerned that the federal Model State Emergency Health Powers Act repeals long-standing federal exemptions from mandatory vaccinations.

The act gives public health officials the power to vaccinate all Americans over 6 months old in an emergency, such as the Level 6 flu pandemic declared by the World Health Organization on June 11.

Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong noted that the county has no power to change the situation. It can only voice its opinion, he said.

"The county has absolutely no control over the decisions on something like this," Yagong said. "This is going to be a lot bigger, a lot greater than the Hawaii County Council."

"The Committee on Human Services and Economic Development voted 6-1 in favor of the resolution allowing people to refuse the swine flu vaccine, or any other vaccine containing certain ingredients or of known health risk, on medical, religious or philosophical grounds.

Lingle also reminded the students that it's important to be vaccinated for both the seasonal and H1N1 flu strains.

Eventually, she said, the Department of Health and the Hawai'i National Guard would be administering swine flu vaccine to the general public statewide.

"It's not just going to be children, or course," Lingle said. "It will be everybody."

Thanks... but what is the national guard doing in all of this? And they should clarify it... when she say ``It will be everybody``... she should say ``It will be everybody who wants it``... Sorry for the confusion.