FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash. – The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has passed a resolution urging the Benton Franklin Health District (BFHD) to cease providing, funding, and promoting gene-therapy vaccines until certain conditions are met.
That condition would require BFHD to present research and results concerning the adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Steven Krager, the health officer at BFHD, says they’re waiting for the Board of Health before making any decisions.
“Ultimately it’s going to come down to the Board of Health and what they decide into how we respond,” said Dr. Krager.
Dr. Krager says the board of health is made up of two Franklin County representatives, two Benton County representatives, and other outside health experts.
In the resolution, the COVID-19 vaccine is defined as a gene-therapy vaccine, in which Dr. Krager disagrees. He says a gene-therapy vaccine works to change or edit DNA, whereas the COVID-19 vaccine does something different.
“The way the COVID 19 vaccines work, they use something called MRNA… which is something that is used in our body quite a bit to kind of create proteins,” explained Krager.
He says the MRNA vaccine instead creates a piece of the COVID-19 virus, showing immune cells what it looks like so it can respond to it when it appears in the future.
The Food and Drug Administration lists Hemgenix, for treating hemophilia B, and Luxturna, for treating retinal disease, as examples of gene therapy vaccines.
Dr. Krager says while his role at BFHD is to make recommendation for the public, it ultimately falls to the individual and their doctor.
“I’m the health officer and I will make recommendations from a public health perspective. Right. But ultimately, the decision is between yourself and your your health care provider, your physician,” says Dr,. Krager.
Clint Didier, chair pro-tem on Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners of District Three, stated a similar opinion on Wednesday’s meeting.
“It’s your free will. It’s your decision,” said Didier. “Yet fear took over this nation and they use fear to push this mandate.”
NonStop Local has reached out to the Didier for comment and is waiting to hear back.
