Christine Stuart Photo
Anti-vaxxers outside the state Capitol Wednesday.
Beginning this fall, new students in Connecticut schools will not longer be able to avoid getting mandated vaccinations based on religious objections.
That’s the upshot of a law Gov. Ned Lamont signed Wednesday.
Titled “An Act Concerning Immunizations,” the law retains medical exemptions.
The State Senate passed the bill Tuesday 22 – 14 vote after eight hours of debate, while thousands of anti-vaxxers protested outside the building.
The law grandfathers in students who have already been excused for religious reasons.
“This legislation is needed to protect our kids against serious illnesses that have been well-controlled for many decades, such as measles, tuberculosis, and whooping cough, but have reemerged,” Lamont stated in a release announcing the signing. “In recent years, the number of children in our state who have not received routine vaccinations has been steadily increasing, which has been mirrored by significant growth in preventable diseases across the nation. I want to make it clear, this law does not take away the choice of parents to make medical decisions for their children. But, if they do choose not to have their children vaccinated, this bill best ensures that other children and their families will not be exposed to these deadly diseases for hours each day in our schools.”
According to this CT News Junkie report, nearly 8,300 students using the religious exemption are enrolled in Connecticut schools this year. Another 1,500 had medical exemptions, out of 574,000 students.
“Proponents argued those exemptions create pockets of vulnerability where outbreaks can occur,” CT News Junkie reported. “[O]pponents argued that higher vaccination rates could be achieved by education and health department enforcement of the current statutes.” Click here to read the full article on the Senate debate and vote.