Legislation in Oregon and Washington state that would have made it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children failed last week in the wake of the recent measles outbreak that began in nearby California.
The Washington bill, which would have outlawed parents from citing personal or philosophical beliefs to exempt their children from vaccine requirements, failed in the state House on Thursday after its author missed a key deadline, according to the Sacramento Bee.
A similar bill in Oregon, which also would have banned parents from using religion as an exemption, died Wednesday after its author, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D), said she didn’t have enough votes.
Steiner Hayward expressed frustration that vaccine effectiveness continues a subject of intense debate.
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