The perils of the anti-vax movement

While the housing bill in Connecticut touches a universal nerve because it taps into the essence of where we live, another polarizing measure is even more intimate because it affects what goes into the bodies of the state’s children.

This is the third straight year that lawmakers will attempt to eliminate the exemption from mandatory school vaccinations on religious grounds.

The first pitch was in 2019, when it never even reached the draft stage, let alone a vote.

It returned in the early stages of the 2020 session, this time drawing hundreds of voices in protest. Still, the measure advanced to a planned vote in the House, only to be canceled by COVID-19.

It’s back again, poised for a vote in the Public Health Committee. The pandemic frames the conversation somewhat differently now. There is no COVID vaccination for children, but we need to anticipate there will be. Regardless, the best strategy for thwarting the virus is to make as many people immune as possible. Experts offer various estimates on what percentage is needed to attain herd immunity, but it’s somewhere around 70 percent.

The possibility of success obviously rises with the percentage, which is why we encourage everyone to seek the vaccine, unless there are medical reasons to avoid it.

If the protests in Hartford — and there will be more — teach us anything, it’s that there are plenty of people out there who will resist any invitation to get a vaccine. In the case of COVID-19, it’s more akin to getting a flu shot. No religious exemption or similar clause is needed when something is voluntary.

If the bill were to pass, it would mean families declining to vaccinate children could not send them to school. As a consequence, the student would be left to be home-schooled.

The most recent data available — for the 2019-20 school year — reveals that the exemption was claimed by 8,328 children. It’s not an insignificant number.

There may never be a mandate to immunize children for a COVID vaccine. Regardless, the same arguments hold that tilt us in favor of eliminating the exemption.

Many students in our schools don’t have a choice. They are unable to get vaccines for medical reasons, such as allergies.

Last year’s public hearing lasted 21 hours, indicative of how deeply personal this issue is for Connecticut families.

That’s true for people on both sides of the issue. But, in this week of Palm Sunday and Passover, it’s important to remember that vaccinations are not forbidden by any major religion.

Legislators have a responsibility to shield the public good. A lasting lesson of the past year is how easily diseases can be transmitted to strangers. Children in classrooms who are not vaccinated for the likes of measles put not only their classmates at risk, but other family members.

It’s a reminder of the most intimate need of all — to look out for one another.

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