Mass. considers scrapping religious exemptions for vaccinations

Read entire story at the Boston Globe

Sarah Harrison worries about growing skepticism around vaccines. Her daughter Miranda, 14, is a survivor of kidney cancer who went through multiple bouts of chemotherapy. Miranda’s immune system was so weak that even a small cold could be lethal, but because of her treatment, she could not get vaccinated. Children like Miranda depend on others to get vaccines so that herd immunity is higher and infection can’t spread to her as easily.

“It’s all fun and games until someone dies of a preventable disease,” Harrison said.

Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the nation but of late, vaccination rates among kindergarteners have been falling. This brings a familiar debate to the fore — should religious exemptions from vaccinations be scrapped.