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Two speakers tell supervisors they believe COVID-19 vaccines harmed people and ask for local action
Summary
At the Merced County Board of Supervisors meeting April 22, two public commenters said COVID-19 vaccines caused harm and asked the board to investigate or stop local administration; the board did not take immediate action.
Two members of the public used the meeting’s non-agenda public comment period on April 22 to tell the Merced County Board of Supervisors they believe COVID-19 vaccines have caused injuries and to request local investigations and policy changes.
Julie Threed, who identified herself as a former public health care worker from Butte County, told the board she traveled to multiple counties to urge officials to "stop administration of the deadly COVID vaccine in your county" and said she has a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) report and related medical issues she attributes to vaccination. Threed said she has spoken in 19 counties, traveled about 6,700 miles, and cited organizations and online resources she said document alleged vaccine injuries, including Medical Doctors for COVID Ethics International, VAERSAWARE.com and React19.
Ronald F. Owens Jr., who identified himself as a former public information officer at the California Department of Public Health, also told the board he believes the vaccines are unsafe and not effective. Owens said he informed his management of his concerns during the pandemic, that he retired on Dec. 31, 2023, and that the retirement caused him an estimated 55% pay cut. He said more than 550 Californians filed entries with VAERS since last August (as he reported) and asked the board to consider putting subject matter experts on a future agenda.
The board did not announce any immediate investigations or policy changes in response to these public comments during the segment recorded in the transcript. The speakers referenced third-party organizations and meetings in other jurisdictions; the board did not comment substantively on the medical or scientific claims during the public-comment period recorded here.
Because the statements were made by members of the public during public comment, they are presented here as the speakers framed them and are not verified by county staff within this meeting record.
