Effort To Improve Immunization Rate Runs Into Roadblock

(Host) Vermont has one of the worst childhood immunization rates of any state in the country.

Legislation has been introduced that's designed to boost the rate, but the plan is running into some opposition at the Statehouse.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports:

(Kinzel) Roughly 40 percent of all children under the age of 3 in Vermont haven't received their mandatory vaccinations and about 20 percent of children entering kindergarten fall into this category. Only Alaska has a lower immunization rate.  Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen is very concerned about this situation.

(Chen) "Understanding that it is good public policy and that it does protect public health and it's an important thing parents can do to protect their children, it only makes sense to do everything we can to encourage kids to be vaccinated in Vermont."

(Kinzel) Why is Vermont's rate so low? Chen thinks it's because Vermont has three exemptions to the state's mandatory immunization law. Parents can seek an exemption for medical or religious reasons and there's a third category that's called the "philosophical" exemption. Dr. Chen would like to get rid of it.

(Chen) "We have one of the highest rates of exemptions. So putting those together it's easy to make the assumption that that exemption in large part has something to do with our low rates."

(Kinzel) Dr. Curtis Gross is a chiropractor in Middlebury. He strongly urged members of the Senate Health and Welfare committee not to eliminate the philosophical exemption.

(Gross) "I feel that we have the right to decide whether to put drugs into our children's bodies or vaccinations... I don't believe that the vaccinations are as effective as they're stating that they are and there is a danger."

(Kinzel) Claire Ayer is the chairperson of the committee. She thinks a stronger public education campaign should be part of what ever the panel ultimately decides to do.

(Ayer) "I think we need to do a better job with public education because the bad stories hang out there and stay in your memory and the good news the everyday news about what's working and what continues to work is not news."

(Kinzel) Dr. Gross supports that approach as long as parents are given both sides of this debate.

(Gross) "I believe that they should be given information encouraging vaccines and they should be given information explaining the drawbacks to the vaccinations also and let each parent decide."

(Kinzel) Will the committee end up supporting the bill? Senator Ayer says it's too soon to tell.

(Ayer) "To be honest, I'm not sure what it's going to be, if it will be yes or no. We're all learning, we're all listening. The jury is still out on that one."

(Kinzel) The committee plans to take additional testimony before taking a final vote on the bill.

For VPR News, I'm Bob Kinzel in Montpelier