Vaccine Bill Stripped Down

The state senate significantly watered down a vaccine education proposal on Wednesday. Many parents came to the state capitol to testify that the original bill was a government overreach. 

House Bill 1288 requires schools and day care centers to collect data on the number of children immunized and the rate of exemptions. But the bill originally required parents to take an online education class or get a letter from a doctor or public health official before opting their children out of vaccines.

“It doesn’t take away parental rights,” said senator Gail Schwartz (D- Snowmass Village).

Schwartz says vaccines save lives.

“When I was 6 weeks old my father contracted polio and was a quadriplegic his entire life. We cannot put societies at risk when we know medicine can prevent tragedies like a polio epidemic.”

But opponents say the education component is a brainwashing tactic to try and force parents to consent to vaccinations. Senator Kevin Lundberg (R-Berthoud) says the glossy brochures talking about the benefits of vaccines only give half the story. He says vaccines can have serious medical risks and his own son had a bad reaction to the whooping cough vaccine.

“I know too many other people have seen permanent damage done. What concerns me is the information that I see from health officials is not complete. It’s not the full picture,” said Lundberg.

Colorado has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in the country – but members of the senate ultimately stripped the education requirements from the bill. Parents currently must sign a personal belief form to opt out. The house sponsor of the bill Dan Pabon  (D- Denver) says the intent is to protect public health, especially those who can’t get immunized.

“We have children suffering from very bad diseases, mainly cancer and leukemia and then exposing those children to an environment where they may come down with life threatening diseases that may have been cured like measles and mumps.”

Pabon says he may have to accept that the transparency piece is all that can pass this year. But he says this is not the end of the discussion and he plans to bring back legislation again if that’s what it takes. He’s also considering a conference committee to iron out the differences between the versions each chamber passed.