In Vt., a petition to maintain philosophical exemption to vaccinations

At SignOn.org:

To be delivered to: The Vermont State House and The Vermont State Senate
We need to preserve the philosophical exemption for vaccinations in Vermont. Don’t fix something that is not broken. Please oppose S.199 and H.527

Vermont’s legislators are considering removing or altering the philosophical exemption for vaccines for children entering daycare and public school (S.199 and H.527). Supporters of the bill and news stories have focused on Vermont’s dangerously low vaccination rates – however the rates they are reporting are misleading and use the CDC list of recommended vaccines, not the list of vaccines required for public school entry in Vermont. Public school vaccination rates are in the 88 – 98% range (the numbers vary depending on which vaccine you look at), and many of the unvaccinated children are simply awaiting a booster or need paperwork. This law change would have little or no impact on Vermont’s (already successful) vaccination rates while having a negative impact on a parent’s right to informed decision making. (Data source: http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/schoolsurv/schoolrpt1.asp?st1=122529)

We’re all for Tenth Amendment rights. If the people of Vermont think that they should be able to opt their children out of at least some vaccination programs, that’s for them to decide.

However, when it comes to the First Amendment violations contained in the HHS ‘birth control’ mandates, where do the people of Vermont stand? Remember, this is a state in which some politicians want to prosecute James O’Keefe for exposing the ease with which their voting system can be defrauded. What Madison is to Wisconsin, Burlington is to Vermont.