[ad_1]
DENVER – Governor Jared Polis has issued a decree to address the low vaccination rates of Colorado's kindergarten and other children.
The Democratic governor signed the order at a press conference Thursday at the Colorado Children's Hospital in Denver.
It seeks to educate parents about the benefits of vaccinating children. It also aims to increase the accessibility of vaccines in rural and underserviced areas of the state.
The order also calls for an information campaign on what Polis calls "vaccine hesitancy" among parents.
Polis points out that it will not change Colorado's existing medical and personal exemptions available to parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.
But he says low vaccination rates make Colorado vulnerable to the nationwide measles outbreak.
The order was issued the same day that new vaccination rates were announced in Colorado. Colorado's rates for measles, mumps, polio, chicken pox and hepatitis have all dropped.
BONUS: You can view Colorado's most updated vaccination data here on a new website.
Last year, Colorado ranked last in the US for the vaccination rate of kindergarten children.
"With most vaccination rates, Colorado is going in the wrong direction," Polis said.
But Polis did not go as far as some would like on the subject. When political journalist Joe St. George of FOX31 urged Polis to appeal to the "anti-vax" movement, he stopped dead.
"Governor, are you going to look into the camera and tell the anti-drippers that they're wrong?" St. George asked.
"This is not the right decision.It is not the decision I made for my children.I gave their vaccines to my children.I encourage all of parents to vaccinate, "said Polis.
"Is the movement wrong, though?" Saint George in a hurry.
"I mean, again, in our state, we have Christian scientists who have objections and no one should be forced to do anything with his body – I am for choice," said Polis.
This statement did not please some.
Dr. Sean O. Leary is a specialist in infectious diseases. O 'Leary says that the governor's executive order is a good first step. However, we must do more.
"Some of his statements about exemptions have somewhat confused me," said O. Leary. "As a pediatrician and scientist, I can say yes, anti-vaxers are wrong."
Alert me
[ad_2]
Source link