the bennymay story: chapter 10

When you said, “No, no, no, no, no, no!”
did you, err, mean Yes?

‘Valid consent is consent obtained after the parent or vaccinee is able to make an informed decision based on the risks and benefits of vaccination,‘ (Handbook, paragraph 1.3; emphasis added).

Wiki says, ‘In order to give informed consent, the individual concerned must … be in possession of all relevant facts at the time consent is given.’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent)

The Aussie Government tells us, ‘To provide informed consent a consumer needs to know what options are available, what the expected outcomes are for each option, and what the success rates and incidence of side-effects are for each option (Source: Improving patient information and decision making [Consumers' Health Forum of Australia (CHF)])’ (http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Informed_Consent; emphasis added)

The medical-types tell us: ‘Recent decisions in Australian courts affirm three important principles relating to consent to therapy. First, patients must be appropriately and adequately informed. Second, the scope and detail of the information supplied should be based on the reasonable patient’s need to know rather than on the actions of the reasonable doctor. Third, the doctor must take care to ensure that the information imparted is understood by the patient.‘ (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7717938)

‘Valid consent must be obtained prior to each vaccination. The individual, or group, being vaccinated must be given adequate information to make an informed decision prior to submitting to vaccination. They must be informed of: … the benefits and risks associated with the vaccine, including possible adverse events,‘ (ADFP 702, paragraph 3.7; emphasis added).

If, hypothetically, I offer you any of fifty drinks, but neglect to mention there is poison in one of them, and you consent and accept my offer, and even sign a consent form, such consent is not legally valid. It is not ‘informed consent’. (Of course all analogies have limited applicability.)

If Ron fails to inform his pilots of the dangers of vaccinations, even if the pilots permit Ron to vaccinate them, there is no valid consent.

© Benjamin May 2009

Go to chapter 11.
or,
Jump to Ronny RAAF’s investigation findings, including that ‘…it is likely that the member did not receive all the information relating to risks and contraindications…’, in chapter 72.