Delco Lawmaker Fights For Pro-Vaccination Bill

By Justin Heinze:

State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) is working to ensure that every child that can be safely vaccinated, is vaccinated.

The local lawmaker, who represents parts of Delaware and Montgomery counties, has introduced legislation which he hopes will reduce the number of unvaccinated children in the Keystone State.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania has the second lowest vaccination rate in the nation. While Pennsylvania law requires that children receive certain vaccinations before they may attend school, exemptions exist for a pre-existing health issue, a religious objection, or "a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief," Leach said.

Leach's bill will eliminate only the exemption for “a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.”

Based on statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for the 2013-14 school year, Leach said that about 2,988 students received the religious exemption, while 3,394 received the philosophical exemption.

"Thus, my bill would reduce, by more than half, the number of children not vaccinated in Pennsylvania for non-medical reasons," Leach said. "Given the danger that a low vaccination rate poses to public health, it is imperative that we take reasonable steps to increase the vaccination rate."

The legislation has been introduced as Senate Bill 696.