Robert Snyder, the top administrator at the Flagler County Health Department, called Flagler School Board member Maria Barbosa “anti-science” and “anti-vaccine” and urged voters to “pay attention” in a briefly chafing exchange about vaccines between the two on live radio this morning. Barbosa repeatedly refuted Snyder’s charge, saying she was only seeking more information for herself and from parents. (See the full audio segment below.)
Snyder and Barbosa were among the guests on David Ayres’s weekly Free For All show on WNZF, there to discuss the school board’s decision on Tuesday not to go ahead with offering the HPV vaccine to sixth graders, pending more input from parents. Barbosa was part of the three-member majority, along with Colleen Conklin and Janet McDonald, that opposed for now the health department’s push to offer voluntary HPV vaccines to sixth graders, despite an extensive opt-in process.
Snyder and other health officials appeared twice before the school board to make their pitch. He was in WNZF’s studio alongside Gretchen Smith, the department’s communications manager, summarizing as he had before the board the reasons why the HPV vaccine has become an important cancer-preventing measure that could significantly reduce the incidence and mortality of more than 30,000 cancers a year, particularly among women prone to cervical cancer or men prone to a variety of throat cancers.
The exchange between Snyder and Barbosa reflects the mounting frustration of health officials over the past few months as they have attempted to convince school board members, with a pile of data, that the vaccine is safe and easily made available, free of charge, alongside other vaccines offered in schools (t-dap and flu). It also was a reflection of Flagler’s status as the county with the second-highest rate of vaccine-exempt children, largely because of parents invoking a religious exemption that has served as cover for many vaccine deniers.
Well into the 50-minute show, which also featured Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart, who spoke on election-related matters, Barbosa was patched in by phone. She spoke of the discussion on the school board and said parents can still inoculate their children with the HPV vaccine for free at what she referred to on several occasions as the Free Clinic (the Free Clinic, an independent non-profit, does not offer the HPV vaccine; the health department does). “I am very grateful to them because they are providing that service to parents and to the community,” Barbosa said, echoing Conklin’s and McDonald’s approach. Meanwhile, she said, she wants to hear from more parents, and asked parents to “let me know your concerns, what you think about it,” inviting them to do so on her Facebook page.
“My Question to you is: It’s a good Idea for Flagler schools to provide HPV vaccine to students of 6 grade? YES or NO,” she asks on her page, calling it a survey. (In fact, it would be the health department providing the shots in schools, as it does flu and t-dap vaccines, not school district staff.)
Free For All: The HPV Vaccine and Flagler Schools (27 mn)
In the studio (and at minute 19:30 in the audio to the right), Snyder told Barbosa he appreciated the opportunity to attend two school board workshops so far with Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the health department and other staff members he described as “the public health officials and professionals in our community.” He spoke of the scientifically proven effectiveness of the HPV vaccine in stopping cancer, his voice betraying an edge of exasperation. “This is about accessibility, as we explained to you, it would take minutes to provide the vaccine, to piggyback, providing children with the t-dap vaccine and the flu vaccine,” he said. “In this day and age, it’s just remarkable actually that you are against that, and to be honest with you, we do appreciate and welcome the opportunity to educate and to talk to parents at PTO meetings like you suggested, and we will do that, but we’re at odds here. And you say that you make decisions on what’s in the right and best interest of children, and you’re surprising me. I don’t think you’re doing that, as the health officer of Flagler County.”
Barbosa immediately disputed Snyder’s claim that she was against vaccination. “No, I’m not. Because even myself I have some vaccination, even as an adult,” she said. “That is a comment you’re putting out there that I am against it. No, I am not against it.”
“As far as I am concerned, you’re anti-science and you’re anti-vaccine,” Snyder said. “It’s a real shame that you’re a member of the school board.”
“No, I’m not anti vaccine,” Barbosa said over some of Snyder’s words. It’s not clear whether she’d heard his last indictment, focusing on the charge about vaccines.
“So voters, pay attention,” Snyder said.
“You’re putting words–you’re putting words in my mouth,” Barbosa said. “Because I didn’t give you the word yes right away, you are taking it personal, and I do apologize for that as well since you feel that way, but like I said my big concern is, I want to know what the parents feel about it, and I want to have, to know, and I have to have more information. It’s that simple.”
She then launched into criticism of health officials, saying she’d she’d asked at the first workshop what “ingredients” were in the HPV vaccine and claimed the information was not provided so she had to look it up online. In fact, the department officials provided all board members the Centers for Disease Control’s last-updated and most authoritative and detailed information sheet about the vaccine, though Barbosa claimed that because it was three years old, it was outdated. That is not the case with CDC documentation, which provides the latest available information and isn’t updated unless changes necessitate it.
Barbosa also spoke of the paperwork that would indicate parental consent. “That has not been given to us also,” she said.
Ayres then cut in. “So what you’re saying,” he asked, “is that you’re not necessarily a no vote, you could become a yes vote with more information?”
“Correct,” Barbosa said.
Smith, the health department’s communications manager, told Barbosa the department could “certainly send to you the consent form that we would intend on giving to parents, it’s the same form that we give out for t-dap, it’s the same form that we give out for flu vaccines,” forms that have routinely been in the school district.
“Again, this is all voluntary,” Smith continued, before addressing an objection that McDonald, who chairs the school board, had raised: that students would have to get out of the classroom to get the HPV vaccine.
“I’m a parent,” Smith said. “My kids just graduated last year, they went all the way through Flagler schools, and if I had gotten something in the mail or if I had gotten something that said you know, we’re going to be giving these shots in schools, I’d be all over it, because you know what, I don’t need to take the time out of my–it’s kind of a burden sometimes to take your kids out of school for half a day, sometimes for a whole day, sit in the pediatrician’s office for like an hour, maybe more, and then go back to work. Then they’ve been out of the classroom for several hours. It also cuts into your worktime. So we’re trying to make it so that parents have this as an option. If they don’t want to give it to their kids, great. Fine. Wonderful. We appreciate that. But if we can save one life, if we can save one life down the line by giving a kid a shot that’ll prevent them from getting cancer, that’s what I think is most important, and that’s what I think is being missed in this whole conversation.”
“We do want to save life,” Barbosa said. She described the matter as “a very controversial issue, not about me, it is in general in the community and all over the world, and that’s why it’s important to have a survey out there to see what is the parents’ thought about it.” In his appearances before the school board, Bickel had addressed those “controversies,” saying there were no such controversies in the medical community–not among physicians, not in medical journals, not in the science, which is settled in matters of the vaccine. The appearance of controversies is the work of viral and unsubstantiated chatter on social media, where Barbosa was now directing parents to give her feedback.
Steve Robinson says
It’s about time someone got angry and called out these school board members for their ignorance and intransigence.
Wow says
I was never quite sure how Barbosa got elected. No qualifications, questionable degrees, plagiarized responses to questions… she just kept running for offices until she won one. I wouldn’t give any credence to her opinions.
BMW says
Kudos to Mr. Snyder!
Let’s just put our heads in the sand and act like we can’t curb the increasing rates of cervical, throat, mouth and stomach cancer with the HPV vaccine. Oral sex is occurring at younger ages and representatives of the Board of Education should be eager to educate the public and offer easy access to parents WHO CHOOSE to protect their children.
Andy says
Whoa whoa whoa – hold your horses, let’s not get too deep into the weeds about anti-vaxxing. Firstly, what invisible sky wizard does she pray to?
Bethechange says
So, l’m trying to wrap my brain around Mrs Barbosa’s stance on the voluntary vaccination accessibility initiative. She was elected to the School Board, in her particular district by the constituents to represent them. Why then does she feel she needs to find out what they think or (worse yet) how they feel about it? Isn’t that what they entrusted her to do? Show up, disseminate the information and make a decision. Surely she doesn’t expect their rubber stamp on every decision she will be called upon to make. Or is it just this issue in particular? Ironic that she accused Mr. Snyder of taking it (her non decision) personally, when she herself is failing to check her own personal feelings at the door of the board chambers. Admittedly, not an easy thing to do, but duty-bound is she to do so; Maria Barbosa stays outside and elected school board member crosses the threshold. It is what she signed up for when she chose to run. It should go without saying, but the board on which she serves is based in academia. Science is a branch of academia and is, indeed at the heart of most, if not all curriculum decisions in our district, our state and our nation. From STEM to reading strategies to ESE interventions and beyond, anyone would be hard pressed to find any contemporary and sound best practices that are not scientifically-based. It seems to follow that any decision which purposefully ignores scientific fact is grossly negligent.
Percy's mother says
Fainting can happen after getting an HPV vaccine.
Sometimes people who faint can fall and hurt themselves.For this reason, the health care professional may ask the person getting GARDASIL9 to sit or lie down for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine.
Some people who faint might shake or become stiff.
The health care professional may need to treat the person getting GARDASIL9.
To learn more about GARDASIL9, please talk to the health care professional or visit http://www.GARDASIL9.com.
Percy's mother says
U.S. Pediatricians Sound Alarm on Gardasil HPV Vaccine Dangers
The American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children. The College currently has members in 47 states and several countries outside of the U.S.
Their recent press release is serving to sound the alarm to the public, the medical community and politicians that the HPV vaccine is not as safe as manufacturers Merck (Gardasil) and GlaxoSmithKline (Cervarix) would want us to believe.
Joe says
Why is it so important for the HD Chief to give these vaccines and why is the school districts even involved? If these vaccines are free and voluntary and the HD personnel are going to administer them, then why can’t people that want them just go to the Health department and get it. How many 6th graders are there in the district? Maybe 500 or so, and out of that many how many would actually volunteer to get them? Seems weird that he has to bully her with election threats unless he is getting some kind of benefit from getting them administered! Very strange and odd!
Michael Cocchiola says
Maria Barbosa represents all of the nonsense conspiracy theorists promote of the dangers of vaccines. While she says she only wants to get parent input, she has already made up her mind – no vaccines for fear of autism, AIDS or whatever other imagined ills may befall kids who are vaccinated. What I fear most is that this regressive mindset will add to the resurgence of illnesses we once thought conquered. So disappointing in a school board member.
Thomas says
Why should the schools do it.
The responsibility rest with the parents
Susan says
The issue is not about the efficacy of the vaccination, the issue is administering the vaccination at school and not at a healthcare facility. I send my children to school to learn and take them to the doctor’s office for healthcare. Each parent should decide if and when their child will receive the HPV vaccine.
What I don’t understand is why the health department staff is so intent on the vaccine being given at school and not at their clinic in Bunnell? It is very disappointing that Mr. Snyder and Dr. Bickel behave in such an arrogant and unprofessional manner. What has happened to our ability to present our case, hear the other side, and then if necessary, agree to disagree. No need for sarcasm and insults.
Mark says
I wonder how many genders are identified by science?
john dolan esq. says
What is the standard for vaccines? There is none. This is the problem. Big profits for big pharma. User beware of side effects down the road. You can’t force it on people if they don’t want it.
Parent of FPC says
Since this article is really not understanding Maria’s stance. She was basically asking Parents how they would feel having the Vaccination given at the Schools due to this particular vaccine is given to teens. There is only a number of years to even have the vaccine. Second, she wanted to give the opportunity to students to actually have this done at school due to the vaccine clinic at the Health Department is in the AM. Third, in the history of Florida schools have had the Health Department come to give Vaccines at school. Finally I believe Maria is doing a great job and I would vote for her again.
Agkistrodon says
I have ti side with Science, as Always. Facts trump Feelings.
Craig Bennett says
THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN AUTISM AND VACCINES. Your government is lying to you. Watch the series “vaxxed” on youtube and you will be as pissed and outraged as I was.
It is time to start assembling and resisting the corporate American takeover of America.
Pierre Tristam says
Craig Bennett wrote us, wondering why his comment wasn’t initially cleared: “I notice all of your comments are very pro vaccine. Are you sure you are publishing EVERYONE’S comments? There is zero doubt at this point that there is a link between vaccine injury and autism. Either you and those specific commenters are ignorant of this fact or you, sir, have an agenda.”
My reply: Of course we’re not publishing all comments. We’re not that irresponsible, nor eager to get sued. See our comment policy. So yes, we absolutely have an agenda: accuracy, in so far as we can help it. “Balance”? Absolutely not, when we’re asked to balance fact and evidence with baseless assumptions. As for the comments regarding the vaccine items specifically, I can tell you that we disallow commenters calling school board members names (those opposing the vaccine are getting called all sorts of names), but we also, on the other side, disallow any untruthful claims. Yours–that there’s a link between autism and vaccines–has been disproven. We try not to publish outright false, baseless and unsupported claims. Now, if you have a peer-reviewed study in a medical journal that says otherwise, by all means, let us see it, and such comments may then be cleared. No such study exists since the Lancet had to retract its own. But I may be wrong.
We’re clearing Mr. Bennett’s comment not because it’s accurate, but because it’s illustrative of what we will happily keep out of our streams, since there are enough of those effluents elsewhere.
Carla Nolen says
Look at the bigger picture. It is not about health but dollars. Parents should educate their children at home and do the research about what they will be injecting into their children. They can care less about side effects years from now. Wake up…we was not injected with these so called preventive drugs
KB says
First, the vaccine is optional. Parents can choose whether or not they want their children to receive it.
Second, the HD administers the t-dap vaccination and the flu shot in the schools. This vaccine would be administered at the same time as the other two.
Third, we need to stop making this about anti-vaxxers vs. vaxxers. The parents have an option! They can decline.
Fourth, offering this vaccine in school saves parents time off of work and children missing class to go to doctor appointments.
Finally, Maria Barbosa’s poll on Facebook is ridiculous. She is only surveying her friends and followers who likely subscribe to her beliefs. If she had a real PhD she would know that this sample population is biased and thus not reliable.
Why can’t we offer this vaccine and let parents be parents?
Tim says
I just spent 2 days volunteering at the special needs shelter at Rymfire. Mr Snyder did a great job coordinating staff to give aid, care and comfort for very sick people in the wake of the hurricane under trying circumstances..
Ms Barbarrosa stopped by for a photo op.