Last summer, we got word that State Senator Ervin Yen would introduce legislation designed to decrease the number of non-vaccinated children in our public and private schools:
“This is not telling people they have to vaccinate their kids – it’s telling them they need to vaccinate their kids if they go to public, private or parochial schools,” Yen said.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports only .3 percent of kindergartners weren’t vaccinated because of their parents’ personal beliefs in the 2004-05 school year. That number has risen to 1.1 percent in the 2014-15 school year, meaning about 550 unvaccinated children attend Oklahoma kindergartens.
Very recently, we heard that his bill was narrowly defeated in committee:
A bill that would have stripped an exemption for opting out of vaccinating Oklahoma children died in a Senate committee Monday. It was a family affair in a Senate committee hearing on Monday. Dozens of mothers with their babies in tow showed up in opposition of a controversial vaccine bill. Right now, Oklahomans can opt out of vaccinating their kids due to religious or medical reasons — or simply personal choice.
Several of us spoke with Dr. Yen yesterday, taking a break from our secular outreach to thank him for promoting a scientific approach to public health. He said that he’s not done fighting this battle. Next year, we need dozens of mothers with healthy vaccinated children in tow to show up in support.
