HOUSTON (Legal Newsline) - When Dr. Angelina Farella communicates on social media with her followers, she still uses various words such as "haccine" instead of vaccine so that she won’t be censored.
“You have to be smarter than the computer, which is very difficult to do,” Farella said. “On my computer, I do not write ‘vaccine.’ It’s ‘vaxxxine."
The pediatrician made the comments on Saturday, Sept. 17 at a medical censorship breakout session at the Texas Youth Summit in Houston.
Farella said she began redacting her commentary after she was censored online, publicly, and medically during coronavirus lockdowns.
“Why weren't they using steroids for respiratory illness,” she said. “Why weren’t they using inhalers, nebulizers, and antibiotics? Never in history has medicine said, ‘There’s nothing we can do.’”
Farella graduated from Ross University School of Medicine in Portsmouth, Dominica, and completed her post-doctoral residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she also was chief resident.
So, when the Texas Medical Board tried to sanction the Webster, Texas resident for the endangerment of a patient, she fought back and founded an organization called Doctors Fight for Freedom.
“There was an emergency room doctor who did nothing for a patient so the patient called me to help them get treated for an asthma attack and pneumonia,” she said. “It had nothing to do with COVID. They were trying to make it into COVID.”
A hearing was subsequently held to de-license Farella, but she prevailed and is still allowed to practice medicine today.
However, Farella says the allegation has taken a toll on her standing in the medical community and on social media.
“I was censored on Facebook,” she said. “I've been censored publicly. I've been censored within certain circles. I’m not allowed to show up in certain places.”
Even the Harris County Medical Society has canceled Farella, who noted that medical law originates from professional medical associations.
Eight of her proposed resolutions were rejected, including one about patient safety that addressed where vaccines are administered.
“They should not be given in pharmacies in case there is a medical emergency,” Farella told Legal Newsline after the discussion.
Neither the Texas Medical Board nor the Harris County Medical Society responded to requests for comment.
Over the last two and a half years, Farella says she has changed her approach in communication.
“I've become way bolder than I was,” she said. “I used to be a lot more diplomatic. They're not diplomatic so I'm dropping the diplomacy.”
The pandemic combined with censorship has led to at least one benefit for the mother of two.
“The medical community is vicious, but I found my people,” she said. “It’s been very trying because people attack you on Google and Yelp and post that you're a horrible physician, so I have those reviews but luckily you attract what loves you. Now, a bunch of patriots come to my office with their children.”
A review by Denise Welch states, "Promotes false public health information. Dangerous person. Should not be a doctor."
Another critic named Alexandria O. wrote, "Took my child to see Doctor Farella. She was, however, very unintelligent," while Alexandra Shepiro posted, "She needs to have her license to practice Medicine Revoked!! She knows nothing about how to treat Covid!"
Dennis Pollard and many others posted positive reviews. "A real non-political Doctor who uses Science and common sense to heal the sick," Pollard wrote.