House passes HB 6423
When more than 5 percent of school children are not fully immunized, children living with health conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated are no longer protected. In the 2019-2020 school year we know that at least 120 of the 544 schools with 30 or more kindergarten students had Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates below 95%, placing our communities at risk for the rapid spread of entirely preventable diseases. That is nearly a quarter of all schools with at least 30 or more kindergarten students. In the 2019-20 school year, 8,328 children in Connecticut claimed the non-medical exemption. That’s up from 7,782 in 2018-19 and 7,042 in 2017-18.
This is an alarming trend.
This bill does not require students to be vaccinated for HPV, flu vaccine or the COVID-19 vaccine as they are not part of the required vaccine schedule here in Connecticut. Required vaccines include measles, mumps and rubella; diphtheria; pertussis (whooping cough); tetanus; poliomyelitis; and haemophilus influenzae type B. Any vaccines that are added must go through vetting by our Department of Public Health, as well as the State's bipartisan regulation review process.
After meeting with constituents on both sides of the issue for the past two years, I co-introduced a bipartisan amendment to the bill that will extend the grandfather provision from seventh grade to kindergarten. Essentially, the bill would only apply to new children entering the school system. This compromise recognizes the dangers of further disruption in schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides more time for the state to contemplate online educational opportunities for those who may disenroll. My amendment passed with bipartisan support, 106 to 36, and became the underlying bill. The final bill, as amended, was passed just before 3 am and sent to the Senate for consideration.
At the same time, the bill expands and enhances the medical exemption process by creating a standardized certificate and providing clear and concise guidance to our health care providers. It also provides insurance coverage for consultations on vaccines.
This bill is among the most emotional issues I have had to address. I take my oath of office very seriously, and while I understand and respect parental rights and other personal liberties my job is to protect the public health and prevent unnecessary deaths. By passing this measure into law, we will help avoid future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses. Vaccines are safe and effective, and our public health demands our attention and our leadership.