In Fear of Measles, Wisconsin Lawmakers Strive to End Vaccine Exit

Wisconsin has a tax rate of 5.3%. According to CDC data, only four states – Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon – had rates of students not receiving the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for a non-medical reason.

This increase is causing public health officials to fear that Wisconsin will become more vulnerable in the event of an epidemic, if measles or another vaccine-preventable disease is found in the state.

"We have been seeing the worst measles outbreak in the United States for decades and, at the same time, more and more Wisconsin schoolchildren are not benefiting from currently prescribed vaccines," said Dr. Chip. Morris, president of the Wisconsin Medical Society, who supports the bill. "This is a very dangerous combination and it is wise for Wisconsin to join with a majority of states in the nation to remove the exception of" personal condemnation "of law enforcement."

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Representative Gordon Hintz (Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The bipartite bill is co-authored by Tyler Vorpagel, R-Plymouth; Debra Kolste, D-Janesville; Representative Jonathan Brostoff, R-Milwaukee; Rep. LaKeshia Myers, D-Milwaukee; Representative Daniel Riemer, D-Milwaukee; and Senator Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee.

At a luncheon with members of the press in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Governor Tony Evers described as "critical" efforts to address the growing number of waivers of personal conviction.

"We just need to understand that the state must meet certain requirements to ensure the safety of all, and I therefore support this bill," said Evers.

Parents may refuse to vaccinate their children for religious reasons, an exemption that would still exist under Hintz's proposed legislation. Medical exemptions would also exist.

Medical reasons for not receiving the vaccine may include people who have been treated for cancer or whose immune system is compromised or who are allergic to the ingredients of the vaccine.

Renunciations of personal convictions account for the vast majority of non-medical waivers used in Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has seen an increase in the percentage of families who have signed up for the waiver in the past two decades.

Hintz's bill is supported by 11 health and advocacy groups, including the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Public Health Association, the Wisconsin Nurses Association, and the Women's League Chapter. of Wisconsin.

"Immunization is not just about protecting people, it's about protecting everyone," Hintz said in a statement. "People who choose not to be vaccinated are only protected by the vaccinated and reduce their exposure risk.Our numbers are going in the wrong direction and it is time to act and close the gap of personal renunciation. "