Governor Ned Lamont recommended that Connecticut join other states in eliminating the religious exemption for childhood vaccinations.
Lamont says the bill should do away with the exemption by the start of the 2021-‘22 school year.
“This is the time for us to take this right decision. It is in the best interest of our kids. It is in the best interest of our family. And we are going to get this passed.”
Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell agrees with Lamont.
“We see what other states have been doing. It is really giving us an idea of how we go forward. So yes, I will be advocating that we move forward on this matter. We want to act proactively, that’s when public health is at its best when we act proactively.’
House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, a Democrat from Hartford, says only children enrolled in public schools would be affected.
“For the purposes of this, we are just saying you can’t enroll in public school where you can endanger other kids.”
The decision comes after the state Department of Public Health released statistics that show the percentage of Connecticut kindergarteners who were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella dropped from 96.5% in the 2017-‘18 school year to 95.9% in the 2018-‘19 school year.
Opponents argue that it should be up to parents to make healthcare decisions about their children.
