Texas Lawmakers Pass Bill Easing Access For Parents To Obtain School Vaccine Exemptions

The AP (5/27, Vertuno) reports a bill approved by the Texas Legislature and sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott “would make it significantly easier for parents to enroll their children in school without standard vaccinations for diseases such as measles, whooping cough, polio and hepatitis A and B.” The bill would let parents “download the required forms from a website instead of contacting state health officials and waiting for one to come in the mail.” Supporters “say the bill streamlines an already legal exemption process that allows families to avoid vaccines for reasons of conscience, religious beliefs or medical reasons.” Although the bill “does not change which vaccines are required,” critics argue that “easing the exemption process opens a door to further outbreaks with potentially deadly results.”