The following information is from Children’s Health Defense.
Wisconsin state Rep. Lindee Brill plans to introduce a bill requiring schools, childcare centers, and nurseries to inform parents and legal guardians of their right to request a vaccine exemption for their children — and explain how to obtain one. The legislation, co-sponsored by state Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, would not change the state’s immunization laws or waiver criteria but would standardize the process and ensure families are informed when making enrollment decisions.
In a July 21 press release Brill said the current process is unclear and leaves many parents unaware of their rights or how to obtain a waiver, adding that exemption information is difficult to find on state forms or the Department of Health Services website.
“Many parents are unaware of this right or are unclear about how to obtain that waiver and feel pressured to make medical decisions for their children that they otherwise would not have.”
She said parent support for the bill has been “nothing short of overwhelming” and credited US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his work on vaccine safety.
“We are incredibly grateful to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for all the work he has done and is doing to Make America Healthy Again. A critical part of that effort is defending the leading role of parents in the health of their children, and I am proud to fight to put families first.”
The proposal comes as state health officials confirmed Wisconsin’s first measles cases this year, with nine reported in Oconto County. Dr. Ryan Westergaard of the state’s Department of Health Services linked the cases to declining vaccination rates. Brill, in a press release, said the agency’s focus on “low vaccination rates” overlooks the sincere religious or personal objections held by many parents.
She cited a 2011 Harvard report showing that only 1% of vaccine-related injuries are reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), adding that some estimates put reporting at 10% on the high side.
Brill said more parents are questioning vaccines and advocating for their children’s health, describing it as part of a “tide change” away from automatically following medical advice.
“I think ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is a good thing. We should be questioning this. We shouldn’t just be lining up and getting vaccines.”
She added that her long-term hope is that vaccine requirements for schools and daycares will end entirely.
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