Senator Kevin Mullin shared a fascinating report at the summer meeting on his efforts to remove the parental philosophical objection provisions in Vermont law and boost vaccination rates in his bill, S199. Senator Mullin recounted Vermont's experience from the earliest days of the state's history when local hero Ethan Allen was vaccinated for smallpox to the success in nearly wiping out polio with routine vaccinations, to today, when vaccination rates are sliding, posing real public health risks. While his original bill did not pass both the Senate and House, the latter which opposed removing the philosophical objection, Senator Mullin was able to pass a stripped-down data collection version of S199, that reads as follows: Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 1121 is amended to read: § 1121. IMMUNIZATIONS REQUIRED PRIOR TO ATTENDING SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES *** (c) To the extent permitted under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Pub. L. 104-191, all schools and child care facilities shall make publicly available the aggregated immunization rates of the student body for each required vaccine using a standardized form that shall be created by the department of health. Each school and child care facility shall annually, on or before January 1, submit its standardized form containing the student body's aggregated immunization rates to the department of health. Notwithstanding section 1120 of this title, for the purposes of this subsection only, the term "child care facility" shall exclude a family day care home licensed or registered under 33 V.S.A. chapter 35.
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For more information:
Sharon Anglin Treat, NLARx Executive Director
207-622-5597
streat@reducedrugprices.org
Sharon Anglin Treat, NLARx Executive Director
207-622-5597
streat@reducedrugprices.org
