Anti-Vaxx Movement: One State To Vote On Ending Religious Exemptions For Vaccinations In Public Schools

KEY POINTS

The New Jersey State Legislature is set to vote on Bill 3818 during Monday's session, ending religious exemptions to vaccination at public schools
It's final amendment was made on Thursday, providing exceptions to private schools and private daycares on vaccinations
The bill is expected to pass, despite opposition from protestors and some legislatures in the New Jersey Senate and Assembly

The New Jersey State Legislature is set to vote Monday on a bill that would take away religious exemptions as a reason to not eliminate children attending public schools, despite protests from parents and family groups.

“Everyone is entitled to express their opinions but we have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of all children, the people in their lives and in their communities,” Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg told reporters. “We will get this done because it is the right thing to do and I believe we have the support in the Senate to get this legislation approved on Monday with the exemption for private schools and day care centers that choose to allow unvaccinated students.”

Bill A3818 was first introduced in April 2018 by New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr. and Assemblywomen Mila Jasey and Nancy Pinkin. The bill originally would have ended religious exemptions as a reason for parents to not vaccinate their kids, regardless of the school they attend.

It comes as renewed outbreaks of measles, mumps, and other viruses across the world, with supporters of the anti-vaxx movement who cite religious reasons or “facts” about the effects of vaccinations.

Final amendments were made to the bill Thursday and approved in the State Senate, giving Senate Democrats the 21st vote needed to send the bill to a final vote. The last amendment would allow private schools and private day-cares to determine whether or not they would accept unvaccinated children if they disclose their vaccination rate.

Republican State Senator Declan O'Scanlan tweeted Thursday, speaking on how it is an acceptable compromise to pass the bill.

Those amendments would restrict the bill to apply to public institutions. Private saucer & schools would have the choice to admit unvaccinated. There are other aspects but that’s the big one. I realize this isn’t a perfect solution. But it’s a balance that I think is fair.
— Declan O'Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) January 9, 2020

Protestors continued to voice their opposition to the bill ahead of the vote.

“I'm against taking all the control out of parents' hands and putting it in the government's hands,” protestor Beata Savreski, 40, told reporters. “I grew up in communism. This is worse than communism.”

Assemblyman Jamel Holley also tweeted about his disappointment with the compromise on Saturday.

To suggest that we begin to segregate our students is an abomination of what every righteous leader should be standing up against.
— Jamel Holley (@jamelholley) January 11, 2020