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posted by chromas on Monday June 17 2019, @01:12AM   Printer-friendly
from the multivac dept.

Anti-Vaxxers Defeated: NY Bans Exemptions as Doctors Vote to Step up Fight:

Anti-vaccine advocates received a blow in New York Thursday as state lawmakers banned non-medical exemptions based on religious beliefsā€”and there may be more blows coming.

Also on Thursday, the American Medical Association adopted a new policy to step up its fight against such non-medical exemptions. The AMA, the country's largest physicians' group and one of the largest spenders on lobbying, has always strongly support pediatric vaccination and opposed non-medical exemptions. But under the new policy changes, the association will now "actively advocate" for states to eliminate any laws that allow for non-medical exemptions.

"As evident from the measles outbreaks currently impacting communities in several states, when individuals are not immunized as a matter of personal preference or misinformation, they put themselves and others at risk of disease," AMA Board Member E. Scott Ferguson, M.D. said in a statement. "The AMA strongly supports efforts to eliminate non-medical exemptions from immunization, and we will continue to actively urge policymakers to do so."

The religious exemption ban in New York comes at a critical time. The state is at the forefront of a nationwide resurgence of measles, with active outbreaks that have sickened hundreds and splintered into other states.

"This administration has taken aggressive action to contain the measles outbreak, but given its scale, additional steps are needed to end this public health crisis," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement after signing the ban on religious exemptions. "While I understand and respect freedom of religion, our first job is to protect the public health, and by signing this measure into law, we will help prevent further transmissions and stop this outbreak right in its tracks."

Sudden outbreak of common sense?


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 17 2019, @07:58PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 17 2019, @07:58PM (#856761)

    Are you familiar with the term Anecdotal Evidence?
    Here, I'll link you to the definition just in case:
    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anecdotal%20evidence [merriam-webster.com]

    Your personal experience does not invalidate the fact that people do die from the measles, they do get complications that have life long effects. Odds of encephalitis from measles is approximately 1 in 1000. Death, 1-2 in 1000. Odds of permanent harm from the measles vaccine? 0 in 1000
    You have worse odds of being killed by a tornado (1 in 60,000), yet we teach tornado safety in schools and there is no dispute as to the harm they can do. So why do you argue against enforcing public safety from a more likely threat?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 18 2019, @04:27PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 18 2019, @04:27PM (#857048)

    But wait, I was getting into his life story. What happened next after you got measles and SURVIVED?! Hopefully there is a book I can purchase or better yet a series of movies.