Deborah Walker: Oppose dangerous HB 1811 about vaccine requirements

To The Daily Sun,

The New Hampshire House of Representatives is considering HB 1811 — a bill that would remove all immunization requirements for children entering child care or school. This will be disastrous for children as they will suffer more disease and death without the protections of immunizations, which are considered one of the major public health achievements in the last century.

As a public health practitioner over the past 50 years, I am both saddened and disappointed at the misinformation about and attitudes against vaccinations. Fortunately, the majority (77%) of parents in July 2024 reported (in an Ipsos poll) that they somewhat or strongly agreed that vaccination requirements are important.

In spite of many studies about the effectiveness of vaccinations for children, some in our state continue to ignore the evidence and endanger the lives of all NH children. In addition, if this law is passed, the state would lose the only source of federal funding to support child care in the state. The Child Care Development Block Grant requires NH to set minimum health and safety requirements, including age-appropriate immunizations.

The current requirements for day care and schools preserve and protect parental choice by explicitly outlining exceptions to immunization. Contact members of the NH House of Representatives to vote against HB 1811 which would end requirements for immunizations for children entering day care of schools in NH. Standards and requirements for immunization should be decided by public health officials and not politicians.

Deborah Walker

Meredith