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Parents in the state of Washington may soon be unable to cite any personal or philosophical reasons explaining their refusal to vaccinate their children against the measles virus after the adoption of a draft of law by the Senate on Wednesday.
The measure removing the exception was passed 25-22, which allowed it to be referred to the House, where it should also be approved. He will then be introduced to Governor Jay Inslee (D), who is expected to sign it.
The measure was passed last month by the House but was later amended by a Senate committee, which requires it to have another vote in the House.
ASSOCIATED PRESS A woman is vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella. The Senate of Washington State passed a bill that would prevent parents from invoking personal or philosophical reasons for not vaccinating their children against the measles virus.
The law would be the first by a state in four years to remove personal exemptions as anti-vaccine opinions increased. California and Vermont removed personal exemptions in 2015, the Washington Post reported.
Parents would still be allowed to declare religious exemptions.
All 50 states have legislation that requires specific vaccines for students. Almost all grant religious exemptions – California, Mississippi and West Virginia do not. Washington is one of 17 states that allow exemptions from mandatory vaccinations for "personal, moral or other belief," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
According to King 5 News, the majority of K-12 students in Washington who are exempt from non-medical vaccines would be affected by this bill.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Signs announcing free measles vaccines and measles information are posted at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, New York.
Among students with an exemption, which represents 4% of the student population, 3.7% of these exemptions are for personal reasons. The others are for religious reasons, reported the channel quoting the state health ministry.
The legislative action comes as the country faces one of its worst measles outbreaks for more than two decades.
Last week, 555 cases were reported in 20 states, up from 15 at the beginning of this month, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the State Department of Health, 74 cases were confirmed in Washington State.
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