The anti-vaxxers are defeated: doctors vote in favor of an intensification of the fight

Anti-vaccine advocates were hit hard in New York on Thursday, as state lawmakers banned non-medical exemptions based on religious beliefs – and there could be more blows ahead.

]Also Thursday, the American Medical Association has adopted a new policy to step up its fight against such non-medical exemptions. WADA, the largest group of doctors in the country and one of the biggest spenders in lobbying, has always strongly supported the vaccination of children and opposed non-medical exemptions. However, with the new policy changes, the association will now "advocate" for states to eliminate any legislation that allows for non-medical exemptions in books.

"Measles outbreaks currently affect communities in several states. When people are not immunized for reasons of personal preference or misinformation, they and others are at risk of contracting the disease, "said Dr. E. Ferguson Ferguson. member of the WADA Board of Directors, in a statement. "WADA strongly supports efforts to eliminate non-medical exemptions from vaccination, and we will continue to actively urge decision makers to do so."

The ban on religious exemptions in New York comes at a critical time. The state is at the forefront of a nationwide outbreak of measles, with epidemic outbreaks that have left hundreds of people sick and dissociated in other states.

"This administration has taken drastic action to contain the measles epidemic, but given its magnitude, further steps are needed to end this public health crisis," said the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, in a statement, after signing the ban on religious exemptions. I understand and respect freedom of religion. Our first job is to protect public health. By adhering to this measure, we will help prevent new transmissions and put an end to this epidemic. "

State laws allowing parents to choose their children from the vaccinations that would normally be required have allowed some communities and schools to be below the vaccination rates needed to prevent the disease from spreading. Eliminating exemptions aims to strengthen immunization and to protect more children and communities from dangerous diseases such as measles.

However, it is not always so simple. In 2015, California removed exemptions for non-medical vaccines as a result of a major measles outbreak linked to Disneyland visitors. But in the years that followed, the state saw a tripling of the number of children benefiting from a medical exemption. State health officials have accused unscrupulous doctors of writing false exemptions for anti-vaccine parents while charging high fees.

California lawmakers are currently considering a new bill to crack down on these dummy exemptions by giving state health officials oversight of medical exemptions granted by doctors. Prominent advocates for anti-vaccines, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., opposed the legislation. This week, actress Jessica Biel joined the fray alongside anti-vaxxers. In a post on Instagram, she mistakenly suggested that extra supervision would make it more difficult for children who actually need medical exemptions to get them.