California Assembly committee backs COVID 'misinformation' bill targeting doctors

A California Assembly committee is considering a bill that would revoke the medical license of health care professionals found to be spreading misinformation about COVID-19, including "false or misleading information" about the virus and vaccine efficacy.

"Major news outlets have reported that some of the most dangerous propagators of inaccurate information regarding the COVID-19 vaccines are licensed health care professionals," the bill, AB 2098, claims. 

The bill passed the Assembly Appropriations committee 12-4, with the 4 "Nays" coming from Republicans. It was ordered to a third committee reading.

The Federation of State Medical Boards, as noted by the bill, has already released a statement warning physicians that they can lose their medical license if they disseminate COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

The legislation would add a section about COVID misinformation to the state's Business and Professions Code for medical professionals.

The new code would read: "It shall constitute unprofessional conduct for a physician and surgeon to disseminate or promote misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19, including false or misleading information regarding the nature and risks of the virus, its prevention and treatment; and the development, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines."

Physicians such as Dr. Syed Haider are concerned about the implications of the legislation. Haider, a telemedicine provider, told the Epoch Times that pharmacists have reported him to four state medical boards for prescribing ivermectin to treat COVID.

Haider said now pharmacies "won't fill ivermectin" prescriptions. 

"It almost seems political rather than medical. It’s not scientific. There’s something else going on and it’s very strange. We can now prescribe things through pharmacies they used to vilify," he noted. "But because our entire medical establishment has now decided that ivermectin must be killed, pharmacists now have a problem with ivermectin."

Haider said the bill "begs the question of who decides what is the truth."