diff --git a/src/HowBadIsMyBatch.ipynb b/src/HowBadIsMyBatch.ipynb
index 1caf8eb0b1d..43a066b2c8a 100644
--- a/src/HowBadIsMyBatch.ipynb
+++ b/src/HowBadIsMyBatch.ipynb
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "updateVAERSFiles(\n",
-    "        needsUpdate = True,\n",
     "        years = years_from_2020_to_present,\n",
     "        workingDirectory = os.getcwd())"
    ]
diff --git a/src/VAERSFileDownloader.py b/src/VAERSFileDownloader.py
index 3ae21783d97..d41913c0e54 100644
--- a/src/VAERSFileDownloader.py
+++ b/src/VAERSFileDownloader.py
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ def downloadVAERSFileAndUnzip(file, workingDirectory):
         zipFile = downloadedFile,
         dstDir = workingDirectory + '/VAERS/')
 
-def updateVAERSFiles(needsUpdate,  years, workingDirectory):
-    if needsUpdate:
-        for year in years:
-            downloadVAERSFileAndUnzip(f'{year}VAERSData.zip', workingDirectory)
-        downloadVAERSFileAndUnzip('NonDomesticVAERSData.zip', workingDirectory)
\ No newline at end of file
+def updateVAERSFiles(years, workingDirectory):
+    for year in years:
+        downloadVAERSFileAndUnzip(f'{year}VAERSData.zip', workingDirectory)
+    downloadVAERSFileAndUnzip('NonDomesticVAERSData.zip', workingDirectory)
\ No newline at end of file