In essence, the aim is to create state and federal health care databanks. They're interested, for example, in collecting information about your living arrangements, years of schooling, occupation, total billed charges, etc. Similarly, CCHC defeated the birth defects database proposed by the March of Dimes. Unfortunately, creation of county immunization registries continues unabated. Using birth certificate information, public officials have entered thousands of Minnesota children onto registries without the knowledge or consent of most parents.
Immunization registries appear fairly innocent, but a camel's nose is a camel's nose.
In other words, immunization registries can become the cornerstones for far more comprehensive government patient databases. Next year, mental illness. This health care surveillance system will effectively erode medical privacy for all children and families. Minnesota citizens may soon be guinea pigs for yet another privacy invasion experiment. A new law authorizes a study to fingerprint citizens for law enforcement purposes.