Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollinger's Island, casts a vote in the Alabama House of Representatives on April 25, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Brown sponsors HB 2 that would require parental consent for vaccines.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
The Alabama House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill requiring parental consent for vaccinations of children 14 years and older.
HB 2, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, passed the chamber on a 92-5 vote. It requires parental consent unless the child is not dependent on their parent or guardian for support, or is living apart from their parents.
“This isn’t an anti-vaccine bill,” he said. “This is a parental rights bill.”
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Alabama’s vaccination rates have gone down, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to data from the CDC, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate in Alabama was just under 93.8% in 2023-2024, down from 95% for the 2021-2022 school year.
The CDC says that at least 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated against measles to create herd immunity. There have been 14 cases of measles in the United States this year, and according to the CDC, none of those patients were vaccinated.
Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, offered a friendly amendment to remove an exception that a child would be managing their own affairs due to repetitive language. The amendment was adopted 103-0.
The bill moves to the Senate.
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From Alabama Reflector Post Url: Visit
Author: Anna Barrett