Some have questioned the legitimacy of religious exemptions. Montana’s vaccine exemption rate among kindergartners was 3.5% in the 2020-21 school year, according to the most recent data available, putting it within that range of protection. The risk of disease outbreaks would increase not only in those child care centers but in communities as well, said Sophia Newcomer, an associate professor at the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health Sciences.Ī community is protected by herd immunity from measles, for example, if 95% of the population is vaccinated against it, according to the World Health Organization. Marian Kummer, a retired pediatrician who practiced in Billings for 36 years. “Exemptions lead to less people being vaccinated, which can lead to more outbreaks and more sick kids,” said Dr. With no mechanism to check the validity of such claims, health professionals worry exemptions would spike, reducing community immunity levels.Ĭalifornia Online pastors, form letters: The cottage industry helping workers avoid vaccine mandatesĪ cottage industry has sprung up to help people justify their decisions to refuse vaccination against COVID-19. Another act bans discrimination based on vaccination status.Ī religious exemption under Montana’s proposed rules would require a child’s parent or guardian to submit a form attesting that vaccination is contrary to their religious belief, observance or practice. The Montana Religious Freedom Restoration Act prohibits the state from infringing on a person’s right to the exercise of religion. “The rules package cuts red tape to increase access to child care for hardworking Montana families, and ensures that related regulations align with statutory changes directed by the Legislature in 20,” his statement said. Ebelt emailed a statement that did not address the exemption at all. KFF Health News sent the health department a list of questions about its decision to include a religious exemption in the rules proposal. (There is an existing religious exemption for the vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae Type B.) However, in the state’s latest proposal, 45 pages into a 97-page draft rewrite of child care licensure rules, the health department seeks to extend that exemption to child care facilities, where a family now can claim a vaccine exemption only for medical reasons. “We are committed to ensuring that these families have viable child care options in accordance with state and federal law,” department spokesperson Jon Ebelt told the Montana Free Press at the time. Afterward, in October 2022, health department officials said they would not enforce a religious exemption ban in child care centers. The proposal in Montana is similar to one the state Department of Public Health and Human Services floated last year, which a legislative committee temporarily blocked after public health advocates and child care providers objected. So when officials at Montana’s health department revived a proposal that would allow people to claim religious exemptions from immunization requirements at child care facilities, Hutzenbiler was both dismayed and relieved.ĭismayed, because allowing more children to claim exemptions could compromise the community immunity levels necessary to defend against highly infectious diseases like measles and pertussis. Part of ensuring that healthy environment is having a strong vaccination policy, she said, especially for those who are immunocompromised or too young to receive the full slate of childhood vaccines. “These families came to me knowing we could offer them a safe and healthy environment,” Hutzenbiler said. The kids, who range in age from 4 months to 9 years, have conditions that include fetal alcohol syndrome, cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome, according to owner Sheryl Hutzenbiler. More than half the children who attend Munchkin Land Daycare near Billings, Mont., have special needs or compromised immune systems.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |