Many parents in New Hampshire already opt out of vaccinating their children and cite various medical or religious reasons, but the number of parents who don't vaccinate will probably rise if a bill being pushed by NH Rep. George Lambert is passed. The bill would allow parents to exempt themselves from vaccinating their children based on conscientious beliefs.
Several other states in the country allow parents to use conscientious beliefs as an excuse to skip vaccinations, including Washington, Vermont and California. This allows parents to bypass signing off on a religious waiver. Only children with serious medical conditions can use a medical issue to get out of vaccinations.
I just can't get behind the anti-vaccination mindset. I mean, it's been disproven that vaccines cause Autism, and what they are protecting against is so much worse than any other adverse issues that might arise from a vaccination. I'm a big fan of herd immunity and keeping horrific diseases out of the general population. Washington State, one of the opt-out states, has had recent issues with Whooping Cough outbreaks, caused by parents not vaccinating their children.
Do you vaccinate your children? If not, why?
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- Karen_Dover
on Oct. 8, 2012 at 8:00 AM