Under current law, Connecticut allows children to attend school and daycare without receiving legally required vaccination if their parents have a religious objection.
Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen measles outbreaks across the nation, and too often these types of religious exemptions to vaccination are the cause.
Fortunately, the Connecticut legislature is considering a bill (HB 6423) to address this issue and eliminate the religious exemption loopholes that endanger children.
This bill has already passed the Connecticut House and committee in the Senate. It just needs a final vote in the Senate to move forward and become law. Then Connecticut can join states like New York and Maine, which repealed dangerous religious exemptions to vaccination in recent years.
However, Connecticut lawmakers are hearing a lot from the other side—those who would refuse vaccination even if it means putting other children at risk.
Image by Heather Hazzan under CC BY 2.0
