Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
All state House representatives who represent portions of Cowlitz County opposed a bill to remove the personal exemption for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine introduced in response to the Clark County measles emergency.
The measure passed Tuesday night 57-40, with state Reps. Richard DeBolt, Ed Orcutt, Brian Blake and Jim Walsh opposed. It now goes to the Senate.
The bill was proposed by Vancouver Rep. Paul Harris, a Republican. Testimony supporting the bill said, "people who choose not to be vaccinated are putting infants and cancer survivors at risk."
As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been 70 confirmed cases of measles since Jan. 1, according to Clark County Public Health. In 61 of those cases, the patients were not immunized.
According to the State Department of Health, during the 2017-2018 school year Cowlitz County kindergartners had a 92 percent immunization rate for the MMR vaccine, compared to 84.5 percent in Clark County. At that time, 358 Clark County students and 46 in Cowlitz County had personal exemptions.
Washington is one of 17 states that allow a personal or philosophical exemption to vaccinations. Every state except California allows a religious exemption.
DeBolt, a Chehalis Republican, said he opposed the House bill because it didn't allow enough religious freedom.
"There are enough people concerned about that and what impacts it could have on their families that I wanted to support their freedom," he said.
DeBolt said he appreciates the amendment to the bill that allows an exemption for patients who can prove negative vaccine reactions within their family. Another amendment grandfathers in high school students with exemptions as long as they are already enrolled in high school. The measure also allows proof of disease immunity as substitute for immunization.
Aberdeen Democrat Blake said the vote was difficult because he is a strong supporter of vaccines but felt the bill was too "strongly coercive."
"In the end I just feel so strongly that medical care should be between the patient and the doctor," he said. Walsh, an Aberdeen Republican, took a similar position and said Wednesday that although he believes in vaccinations, he opposed the bill because the choice belongs with parents or guardians.
"If we force vaccination or other public policy on families and individuals, we're undermining the security in one's person that's an essential part of both the U.S. and Washington constitutions," Walsh said. "I want to encourage people to vaccinate their children, but we must leave that choice with parents and guardians."
A companion bill was on the Senate floor calendar but was not voted on by Wednesday afternoon.
The measure is stricter than the House bill and would remove the personal exemption for all vaccines required to attend school or a licensed day care center.
Sen. Dean Takko, a Longview Democrat, said he plans to vote for the bill. He said not vaccinating affects others' safety.
"I've had a number of doctors, including pediatricians, talk to me and I would take their opinion of vaccination over what people are picking up on the internet," Takko said.
State Sen. John Braun, a Centralia Republican who represents the 20th District, said he will oppose the Senate bill because be believes vaccination should be a personal choice left to families.
"I'm not opposed to vaccination. I think it's fundamentally a parental right," he said. "Within reason and safety standards, we should allow parents to make those decisions because they broadly make good decisions."
