A proposal to make it more difficult for parents to avoid school-entry immunization requirements has raised the ire of opponents, who say the requirement is insulting and violates their parental rights.
By Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times health reporter
Worried by outbreaks of contagious diseases such as measles and whooping cough, public-health officials are supporting a proposal to make it more difficult for parents to avoid school-entry immunization requirements.
The measure under consideration has drawn strong support in both houses of the Legislature and faced little opposition until recently, when vaccine-resisting parents mobilized to pack hearings and lobby lawmakers.
The proposal would require parents who seek exemption from current state law to submit proof that a health provider has informed them of the risks and benefits of immunization.
Currently, parents can sign a form themselves to claim religious, philosophical or personal reasons for refusing to immunize their children before enrolling them in school or day care.
Public-health officials say the bill is needed because immunization rates are falling, parents are receiving sketchy information from the Internet and the state has made it too convenient for them to skip immunization.
"Convenience is not a reason to risk our children's health, and countering misinformation requires a conversation with a trusted and informed health-care provider," Dr. Gary Goldbaum, Snohomish Health District health officer, told lawmakers. "This is a matter of protecting our most vulnerable citizens: our children.*" FULL STORY
* They keep using that phrase, and I am really getting tired of it. Maybe tired enough of it to write an Editorial about it some day.
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