A controversial bill that would end Connecticut’s long-term religious exemption from immunization requirements for schools, beginning with the 2022-23 school year, is now awaiting Senate action.
The legislation passed a 90-53 vote in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, after more than 16 hours of sometimes belligerent debate. No date has yet been set for the Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats, to vote on the same bill.
The House vote was furthest from Connecticut legislation, where lawmakers have debated the concept in recent years. Some Republican opponents argued that the bill was unnecessary, an overrun by the state government and an attempt to impede the religious freedoms of potentially thousands of children. Still, most Democratic supporters said it was a necessary step to prevent future disease outbreaks.
“We have seen a slow and steady increase in exemptions from mandatory childhood vaccinations. We don’t know when community immunity could be compromised, ” said Jason Rojas of East Hartford, leader of the Democratic House Majority, who compared the situation to the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when “ far too many elected officials denied or did not recognize that a pandemic was underway, “
He said any exceptions to the state’s mandatory vaccination rules “should be limited and based on scientific and public health guidelines. And that’s why we’re here today. “
About half an hour before the bill was finally passed, members of the House passed a Republican amendment making it clear that students now exempt from immunizations for religious reasons will remain exempt if they transfer from a Connecticut public or private school to a college. another, or to another school district in the state.
That action came hours after another amendment was passed, imposing grandfather on students with an existing religious exemption, starting with preschoolers. The bill originally gave a grandfather to students in grades 7 and above with current exemptions, but some Republicans and Democrats expressed concern about the impact on those children’s education given the prospect of being expelled from school for not were vaccinated.
Democratic Ned Lamont government reiterated on Tuesday that it is ready to sign the legislation into law if it passes in the Senate.
“We saw that there was a very strong vote in the legislature, which I consider (as) in support of vaccinations and doing everything possible to, in this case, encourage students to get vaccinated, with of course the necessary exemption, ”Lamont said. “And I think it sends out a strong signal, I appreciate that. Get vaccinated. “
The legislation stems from an increase in the number of Connecticut families seeking religious exemption from many childhood vaccinations, ultimately dropping vaccination rates in as many as 100 schools to below 95% at any one time. Critics questioned whether the state was trying to improve vaccination coverage in those particular schools. Meanwhile, the Department of Health reported earlier this month that an unvaccinated Fairfield County child contracted measles. during an international trip.
Representative Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee who raised concerns about vaccine misinformation on the Internet, said, “It is reasonable to assume” that many parents are using the state’s religious exemption because they feel worry. on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.
“It is a belief, even if it is not specifically religious. But it’s a problem, a growing problem, ”he said. “Hesitation to vaccinate is becoming a direct and serious threat to public health. It requires a proactive approach, not a reactive one. … We must act and act before we have an epidemic, an epidemic that we can prevent. “
About 7,600 children in grades K-12 currently have religious exemptions in Connecticut, lawmakers said. There was debate about how many children would be affected by the legislation in the future, despite the grandfather measures. Many Republicans expressed concern about what will happen to the 683 children in pre-K and daycare currently using the religious exemption, as well as prospective students who would have applied for a religious exemption from the required vaccinations to attend school.
“This body is trying to take away the religious freedoms of 8,000 children in this state because the good president says they have a choice,” said Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, referring to Steinberg, who said children with compromised immune systems cannot choose to receive a vaccine, while many with religious exemptions can.
“What choice does a toddler have in view of their religion? Little, I would say. Small, ”he said. “So those throwing kids out of school, it’s not based on their choice, it’s based on the choice of the people in this room, people who should know better.”
Connecticut is currently one of 45 states with a religious exemption from childhood vaccinations. The medical exemption continues to apply to families. There are currently more than 1,000 of them.
Connecticut lawmakers have been considering lifting the religious exemption for vaccinations for several years, and it has been an emotionally charged debate. Both lawmakers who support and oppose the legislation have reported receiving hostile emails and social media posts about the matter.