Should parents have to report to the state if their children remain unvaccinated?
There is a recent trend to leave children unvaccinated. Fear of potentially permanent negative side effects of vaccines, such as cognitive and physical disabilities, have led many parents to opt out of the inoculations their states require for children to attend school. Colorado has some of the lowest vaccine rates in the country. This is because parents are allowed to opt out for almost any reason. But who is keeping track of the children that remain unvaccinated?
It is currently the law that individual schools report the vaccine status of their students to the state. Unfortunately, it seems recordkeeping has been less than satisfactory. So, a new bill has been introduced to Colorado lawmakers requiring state involvement. Specifically, the bill will require parents to report whether their child has been vaccinated to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Some feel this will be helpful in the event of an outbreak of disease, such as the outbreaks of mumps and measles that have occurred recently in various parts of the country.
Many parents, however, are fearful about turning this information over to the state. They think it will enable the government to “track them down” and “bully” them into vaccinating their children for every disease required for school attendance. Many also assert that requiring this information be turned over is a violation of privacy.
Although vaccine injuries are rare, they are often serious in nature. If your child has suffered an adverse reaction to a vaccine, there is hope. You can file a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. This specialized court decides whether a person’s injury is in fact related to an inoculation and if so, how he or she should be compensated. Before filing a claim, it is in your best interest to consult with a skilled vaccine injury attorney in your area.