With the rush of mandatory vaccine laws lately, are there any states refusing to implement such measures?
As we recently reported, California recently became one of the first states to do away with personal exemptions for families wishing to refrain from vaccinating their children prior to enrollment in the public school system. The decision, which sent shockwaves through the nation as an unrestrained exercise in government over-reach, was met with strenuous objections from parents wishing to wait or withhold vaccination all together. Fortunately, however, not every state has opted to take the same route, and states like Oregon and Washington recently struck down similar measures by lawmakers looking to add a similar – possibly unconstitutional – mandate to their codebooks.
Oregon & Washington refuse to eliminate exemptions
Under the laws of most states, conscientious parents can opt to avoid vaccination of their children by submitting a personal exemption waiver. Generally, these exemptions can be based on religious conviction, personal principles, or underlying medical conditions. Following the 2014 outbreak of measles in Disneyland, however, states like California have been scrambling to find a scapegoat – pointing fingers at a group of parents who opted not to vaccinate their children. However, medical evidence is unclear whether lack of vaccination or immunosuppression was actually to blame for the incidents, and other states have been thankfully apprehensive to take the same drastic measures.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in both Oregon and Washington proposed bills making it much more difficult – if not impossible – for parents to exempt their children from the stringent vaccination regimen required by the public school system. In Washington, the bill died in its infancy due primarily to a procedural technicality. In Oregon, however, a similar measure died following a passionate public hearing on the issue, which reminded lawmakers of their constituents’ closely-held beliefs on the matter.
If you child suffered an injury possibly due to his or her vaccination, please do not hesitate to contact vaccine injury attorney Leah V. Durant: (202)800-1711.