To: Governors in 48 states
Sign the petition: Ban belief-based vaccination exemptions
The re-emergence of measles in the U.S. has shined a light on the dangers of allowing personal beliefs to trump public health.
Please introduce legislation in your state to ban all belief-based vaccination exemptions.
Please introduce legislation in your state to ban all belief-based vaccination exemptions.
Why is this important?
In every state except Mississippi and West Virginia, parents can legally choose to not vaccinate their children against common illnesses before enrolling them in school.
The consequence of these vaccination loopholes has been the re-emergence of diseases like the measles—an illness that had all but been eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 100 reported cases in more than a dozen states, and the U.S. is "likely to see more cases."
Mississippi hasn’t seen a measles outbreak since 1992 and West Virginia, not since 1994. That’s because neither state permits children to enroll in kindergarten without getting their full roster of vaccines—no matter their parents’ personal or spiritual beliefs.
The anti-vaccine movement puts our most vulnerable populations at risk, including children under 12 months who simply cannot get vaccinated.
Public health must trump parental choice. Tell your governor to introduce legislation to ban all belief-based vaccination exemptions.
The consequence of these vaccination loopholes has been the re-emergence of diseases like the measles—an illness that had all but been eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 100 reported cases in more than a dozen states, and the U.S. is "likely to see more cases."
Mississippi hasn’t seen a measles outbreak since 1992 and West Virginia, not since 1994. That’s because neither state permits children to enroll in kindergarten without getting their full roster of vaccines—no matter their parents’ personal or spiritual beliefs.
The anti-vaccine movement puts our most vulnerable populations at risk, including children under 12 months who simply cannot get vaccinated.
Public health must trump parental choice. Tell your governor to introduce legislation to ban all belief-based vaccination exemptions.