A new bill package planned in the Michigan House would require school districts and childcare centers to share data on how many kids have gotten their vaccines.
That information is already available for certain grades on the state health department’s website. But the bills would have that data sent out to parents and posted in buildings.
State Representative Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids) said parents need those details to make decisions for their children.
“They deserve to have the information that, if I send my child there, are they at risk, beyond what I would like to have, of bringing that disease home? Of spreading a contagion around the community?” Skaggs said during a press conference Thursday.
Research has shown fewer Michigan children are receiving vaccines in recent years. Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers are in the midst of meetings in Atlanta to consider changing the recommended timeline for kids getting shots.
On top of reporting data to parents, the package of legislation awaiting introduction in the state House would also require schools to work more closely with local health departments to keep vaccination rates up and figure out when they’re falling.
State Representative Morgan Foreman (D-Pittsfield Twp) sponsors a bill to that effect.
“Basic science tells us that (the) more people who go unvaccinated against preventable illnesses, the more likely an outbreak of that illness is to occur. And basic math tells us that when you have more unvaccinated children than the state has seen in more than a decade enrolling in school, more outbreaks are going to occur,” she said.
The 11-bill package also aims to keep vaccines available by requiring health insurance to cover vaccines and allowing state officials to set vaccine policy.
State Representative Matt Longjohn (D-Portage) said it’s a response to fears that federal policies could lead fewer adults and kids to get their shots. He said the state’s chief medical executive has already issued recommendations for pharmacists to follow previous agreed-upon guidance. But that can only go so far.
“Providing the authorities to give an order, requires statute. So that’s where Michigan and other states around the country -- at least 15 of them -- have declared emergency orders, or joined together in coalitions, or done any number of things,” Longjohn said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering making it tougher to approve vaccines after claiming, without details, that 10 children died in connection with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Peer reviewed medical data has shown vaccines are highly safe and found ones for COVID-19 to be effective, with extreme negative side-effects being rare. The CDC has said safe, effective vaccines are one of the great public health achievements of this century.
While many scientists and past FDA leaders are alarmed with proposed changes, some Michigan House lawmakers said it’s good that vaccines are seeing more scrutiny.
Representative Brad Paquette (R-Niles) said he had a heart attack and was diagnosed with myocarditis stemming the COVID-19 vaccine he received.
“I think there’s a lot of fatigue here in Michigan around vaccines ... And I think a lot of people are starting to dig into this, and I encourage that. And I think we should too as policymakers,” he said.
Paquette said he’s not anti-vaccine, but rather wants to ensure all medical advice being given is sound. He said he’s worried the Democratic-led bill package could reignite culture war battles seen during the height of the pandemic over social distancing, masking, and vaccine records.
With Republicans in charge of the Michigan House, it could be hard for the legislation to move forward.
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