• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Bill would allow more Iowans to opt out of childhood vaccinations

Bill would allow more Iowans to opt out of childhood vaccinations

January 27, 2017 By O. Kay Henderson

State Capitol.

Some Republican legislators are promoting a bill that would let more Iowa parents opt out of getting their children vaccinated against contagious diseases like polio.

Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says he’s listening to the concerns of constituents.

“I believe in freedom,” Holt says. “I do not believe in the concept, in this context, that government should have the right to order parents to immunize their children.”

Under current state law, parents can get a religious exemption and their kids do not have to get a series of required vaccinations before enrolling in school. The bill would be more expansive and allow any parent to oppose immunizations based on a “personal conviction.”

Health care professionals and public health experts crowded into a statehouse committee room yesterday to speak out against the bill. Dr. Nathan Boonstra works at Blank Children’s Pediatric Clinic in Des Moines. He said the bill would mean lower vaccination rates in Iowa — and put Iowans at risk of contracting a serious disease.

“Some of the most tragic cases that I’ve seen as a pediatrician have been cases where a child suffered or even died as a result of a disease that could have been easily prevented from a vaccine,” Boonstra said.

There’s currently a measles outbreak in California. At least 20 measles cases there have been confirmed in a community of orthodox Jews who were not vaccinated.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Legislature

Featured Stories

Speakers at trooper’s funeral describe Sgt. Smith as selfless, man of faith

Iowa unlikely to join 26 states with hands-free driving laws

Reynolds says Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause manageable

Iowa State Patrol tactical team leader killed in Grundy Center stand-off

Finalists chosen for the state’s top burger

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI’s Warren agrees to contract extension

Iowa State signs Kansas transfer

Drake elevates Pohlman to head women’s basketball coach

New title sponsor for Des Moines Marathon

Iowa State adds Minnesota transfer

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC