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Lawmakers in Washington State, in the northwestern United States, who are battling a measles epidemic, are considering pbading a bill banning parents from asking for a personal or philosophical exemption to their children vaccinated.
Hundreds of people opposed to the bill lined up early Friday to attend a hearing in Olympia, the state capital, where lawmakers heard testimony from proponents and opponents of the bill.
This measure comes after health officials reported at least 52 known cases of measles in the state and four cases in the neighboring state of Oregon.
Law in force
The Washington State law requires that children be vaccinated against a dozen diseases, including measles, before they can attend a school or daycare. However, waivers are allowed for parents based on their personal beliefs, including medical, religious and philosophical opinions.
The proposed bill would eliminate this personal exemption, which means that all children should be vaccinated against various diseases before they can enroll in schools or nurseries.
The bill has the support of the state's medical badociation and Washington governor, Jay Inslee, who declared the state of emergency last month because of the law. 39, measles epidemic.
Opponents who testified against the bill on Friday include environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who questioned vaccine safety standards.
According to the Associated Press, records from the state 's Department of Health indicate that 4% of Washington high school students benefit from an exemption from non – medical vaccines. Records showed that 3.7% of these exemptions were personal, the others being religious exemptions.
Arguments for, against
Proponents of the elimination of the personal exemption argue that schools must be safe and protect vulnerable children. Opponents of the elimination of the exemption say that vaccines carry a medical risk and that, therefore, people must have the choice to use them.
California and Vermont have both removed the vaccine exemptions from personal beliefs for schoolchildren.
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