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Immunization battle brewing in Vt

Montpelier, Vermont - January 23, 2012

If you're a Vermont parent with school-aged kids there could be major changes coming to what the state says you have to do to keep them healthy. Lawmakers are looking at changing the rules on who has to get immunized.

Advocates for immunizing Vermont's kids say it's a matter of life and death. "It is similar to drinking and driving, it doesn't just affect you, you can affect someone else's life," said Sen. Kevin Mullin (R-Rutland).

Immunization rates for Vermont kindergartners have dropped from 93-percent in 2006 To 83-percent today. As those rates fall, the number of preventable diseases are on the rise. Last year the health department confirmed more than 90 cases of whooping cough across the state--up from 18 the year before.

"From a public health perspective, if this keeps going in the trend that it is going, which is the wrong direction -- less people getting immunizations, then we are going to have significant public health concerns," Sen Mullin said.

Right now Vermont parents can keep their children from getting vaccinated for medical, religious and philosophical reasons, and it's that third category that's raising eyebrows with public health officials and some lawmakers. Vermont's 5.4 percent philosophical exemption rate is the second highest in the country.  

"The whole reason why there are regulations or requirements for children to get immunized is to prevent the spread of disease to other children and to limit the overall disease within society and within the community," said the Chris Finley with the Vt Health Department.

On Tuesday a public hearing at the statehouse in Montpelier will raise the issue of getting in line with states like New York and New Hampshire by taking the philosophical exemption off the table for parents.

"It can be an exemption of convenience, rather than what I call conviction, and what that means is, it really can be easier to print out a form and sign it than to call your doctor and have an appointment -- get your child in," Finley said.

Senator Mullin is leading the effort at the statehouse with support from the state Health Department. He says he's open to all ideas to boost the number of kids rolling up their sleeves. "The goal really is to protect the public health and so that is where we are headed," he said.

But Mullin and others may not get there without a fight. A number of people who feel the rules should stay as they are, are expected to turn out for the morning hearing.