Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed a sweeping vaccine bill into law that preserves state standards for inoculations and reinforces a ban on religious exemptions for students in public schools.
Under House Bill 5044, called “An Act Establishing Connecticut Vaccine Standards,” vaccine schedules will be independent from federal guidelines. The state will preserve its own vaccine standards through the Commissioner of Public Health’s establishment of the “standard of care for immunization for residents of this state.” Standards for vaccines will be linked to materials provided by organizations such as the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Family Physicians.”
“When thousands of cases of measles threatened communities across America this year, Connecticut had zero cases. That doesn’t happen by accident. This legislation ensures that no matter what happens in Washington, Connecticut’s immunization standards stay grounded in science and keep proven vaccines available and affordable,” Lamont said upon signing the law. “At a time when national vaccine guidance faces growing uncertainty, these changes empower doctors to make decisions based on evidence and to give families the reliable information they deserve. I appreciate the many members of the Connecticut General Assembly who voted in favor of this bill to support the ability of people to access vaccines and protect themselves from illness. Connecticut residents, including our most vulnerable, deserve public health policies based on the science, not skepticism and politics.”
Maryland has a similar law, signed by Governor Wes Moore (D) earlier this month. Under the policy, the state’s secretary of health may determine what vaccines the state may administer. “Maryland’s vaccine policy will be led by science – not internet conspiracy theories,” Moore said in a statement. “We will protect our people, no matter how they voted in the last election.”
