There is one exception, however. When the vaccination presents a medical risk to the child, they may be exempt from the law.

“A certificate of exemption from vaccination for medical reasons may be offered on behalf of a child by a duly licensed physician and may be accepted by the local health officer when, in his opinion, such exemption will not cause undue risk to the community.”

In simple terms, if a physician deems the vaccination to be a health risk, most commonly because of existing medical conditions causing a weak immune system, then the child may be exempt, as long as the health officer doesn’t think it could lead to an outbreak in the community.

Unlike most states, Mississippi allows no religious exemptions, much to the chagrin of activists. In early 2018, HB 1505, which was sponsored by 12 House Republicans and 1 House Democrat, sought to add religion as grounds for exemption, unless the “disease is in epidemic stages.”

Luckily, the bill didn’t pass as it died in the house. Religious rights are important, but a parent’s religious rights should not be able to harm innocent children. The vaccinations are safe, and they have all-but eradicated diseases like measles in America.

Mississippi’s current policies work, and they work with a startling efficiency. A January 2015 article in The Washington Post by Todd Frankel, detailing information from the CDC, outlined the impressive success of Mississippi’s vaccination policy: Only 0.1 percent of Mississippians receive an exemption from the vaccinations.

“Herd immunization,” which is, simply speaking, defined as “everyone around my kids is vaccinated, so why do I need to vaccinate them?” is another common rebuke against vaccinations. But so-called “herd immunization” is intended to protect those who can’t be vaccinated for dire medical reasons – not because you bought into a conspiracy theory about Autism, or you claim the vaccinations violate your “religious beliefs.”

According to the CDC, herd immunization rates need to be as high as “80-95%” to have a chance at success, while a story in The New York Times cites rates need to be as high as “95-99%.”.

Mississippi’s vaccination rate, if you subtract the near-nonexistent exemptions, would be somewhere around 99.9 percent, so herd immunization in Mississippi would effectively protect those who are forced to rely upon others being vaccinated.

Mississippi has almost 188,000 children under the age of five, the most at-risk population, along with those older who have grave diseases such as cancer that have waged war on their immune system.

We’re in the United States of America, we basically eradicated these vaccine-preventable diseases with immunizations, increasing our quality of life by protecting ourselves from these pestilent diseases. We have to keep vaccinating children, according to the CDC’s recommended schedule, to not only protect our kids, but also protect those who can’t be vaccinated due to weakened immune systems.

Mississippi got it right, and Mississippi should stick to its guns on vaccinations. Public health trumps vaccination conspiracy theories every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

There is one exception, however. When the vaccination presents a medical risk to the child, they may be exempt from the law.

“A certificate of exemption from vaccination for medical reasons may be offered on behalf of a child by a duly licensed physician and may be accepted by the local health officer when, in his opinion, such exemption will not cause undue risk to the community.”

In simple terms, if a physician deems the vaccination to be a health risk, most commonly because of existing medical conditions causing a weak immune system, then the child may be exempt, as long as the health officer doesn’t think it could lead to an outbreak in the community.

Unlike most states, Mississippi allows no religious exemptions, much to the chagrin of activists. In early 2018, HB 1505, which was sponsored by 12 House Republicans and 1 House Democrat, sought to add religion as grounds for exemption, unless the “disease is in epidemic stages.”

Luckily, the bill didn’t pass as it died in the house. Religious rights are important, but a parent’s religious rights should not be able to harm innocent children. The vaccinations are safe, and they have all-but eradicated diseases like measles in America.

Mississippi’s current policies work, and they work with a startling efficiency. A January 2015 article in The Washington Post by Todd Frankel, detailing information from the CDC, outlined the impressive success of Mississippi’s vaccination policy: Only 0.1 percent of Mississippians receive an exemption from the vaccinations.

“Herd immunization,” which is, simply speaking, defined as “everyone around my kids is vaccinated, so why do I need to vaccinate them?” is another common rebuke against vaccinations. But so-called “herd immunization” is intended to protect those who can’t be vaccinated for dire medical reasons – not because you bought into a conspiracy theory about Autism, or you claim the vaccinations violate your “religious beliefs.”

According to the CDC, herd immunization rates need to be as high as “80-95%” to have a chance at success, while a story in The New York Times cites rates need to be as high as “95-99%.”.

Mississippi’s vaccination rate, if you subtract the near-nonexistent exemptions, would be somewhere around 99.9 percent, so herd immunization in Mississippi would effectively protect those who are forced to rely upon others being vaccinated.

Mississippi has almost 188,000 children under the age of five, the most at-risk population, along with those older who have grave diseases such as cancer that have waged war on their immune system.

We’re in the United States of America, we basically eradicated these vaccine-preventable diseases with immunizations, increasing our quality of life by protecting ourselves from these pestilent diseases. We have to keep vaccinating children, according to the CDC’s recommended schedule, to not only protect our kids, but also protect those who can’t be vaccinated due to weakened immune systems.

Mississippi got it right, and Mississippi should stick to its guns on vaccinations. Public health trumps vaccination conspiracy theories every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

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