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Lawmakers in New York on Thursday called for an end to non-medical exemptions for immunizations for school-age children in the midst of a measles outbreak.
The bill is backed by a group of Democratic lawmakers who say they want to remove the "loophole of personal belief" that advocates religious exemptions from vaccines, The Journal News reported.
"The goal here is to push legislation to remove all non-medical immunization exemptions for children who attend school in the state of New York," said Sen. David Carlucci ( D). "We have seen the spread of measles spread like wildfire in communities where vaccination rates are not high."
Carlucci added that the religious groups with whom he spoke did not prevent people from receiving vaccinations.
"The religious communities with whom I spoke do not prevent people from being vaccinated," he said. "This bill would remove any misconception of the puzzle."
State Senator Brad Hoylman echoed Carlucci, stating that there was no significant religious group advocating against vaccination as part of its official doctrine.
"The exemption of religious beliefs in New York is a personal flaw," said Hoylman. "According to experts, no major religious group defends vaccination as a matter of official doctrine."
Legislators have stated that only medical exemptions from vaccines should be allowed.
Hoylman criticized the modern anti-vaccine movement, which persisted despite scientific research demystify the myth that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is linked to autism.
The bill is currently in committee in the Senate and in the House, according to the newspaper.
If the law is promulgated, New York will become the fourth state to allow only medical exemptions for vaccinations.
California passed a similar law in 2015 when a measles outbreak hit California. Mississippi and West Virginia also allow medical exemptions for vaccinations.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 387 cases of measles were confirmed in 15 states between January 1 and March 28 this year.
This is the second highest number of cases reported since the virus was reported eliminated in 2000.
According to the state, 259 cases of measles have been confirmed in New York City.
Additional cases were confirmed in Rockland County, which declared the state of emergency during the outbreak in March. According to The Journal News, 425 cases of measles have been confirmed in Brooklyn, Queens and Rockland County.
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