LIHUE — Hawaii has updated its rules for school immunizations.
Proponents of the rule updates say it will lead to healthier students and a decrease in communicable disease. Opponents are already gearing up to appeal the changes to HAR 11-157, signed by Gov. David Ige.
Concerns are that the immunizations themselves aren’t safe for children and that the new rules will restrict religious and medical freedom.
“What this means is that now schools have to report any students, or people, who don’t immunize,” said Kauai resident Toni Liljengren, who has been involved in the anti-vaccination movement for about 30 years.
She continued: “We have a right to medical and religious freedom in America. Our medical privacy just got blown away. What Ige just signed has allowed for a lot more damaged children through permanent disabilities like autism, and death.”
According to the Department of Health, religious and medical exemptions will still be recognized in the state, philosophical or personal belief exemptions are not. The new requirements for school entry will begin July 1, 2020.
DOH says vaccines do not cause autism and have an excellent safety record.
Announced by DOH on Tuesday, the new requirements will bring the state’s Department of Education back in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national recommendations, according to state officials.
“These requirements protect not only the health of our students but their families and our communities as well,” said state health director Bruce Anderson. “Ensuring our students are vaccinated provides protection for those who are too young to be vaccinated and those with medical conditions, such as cancer, who cannot be immunized.”
Now child care/preschool entry students are required, to have received vaccines for Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Hepatitis A (Hep A), Hepatitis B (Hep B), Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Polio (IPV), and Varicella (chickenpox).
In addition, all seventh-grade students must have received vaccinations for Tdap, HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine) and MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine).
Outbreaks of diseases like the measles are on the rise in the U.S. and Hawaii isn’t the first state to take a second look at student vaccine requirements.
Maine made similar changes that will be effective Sept. 1, 2021. New York recently eliminated religious exemptions. Washington, Mississippi, West Virginia and California have all reworked vaccination laws as well.
Nationwide, concerned parents and opponents of vaccinations are organizing against the new laws, saying mandatory vaccinations are a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
The topic boils down to a clash of philosophy between pro-vaxxers and anti-vaxxers. Both camps are dedicated to health and safety of America’s children, but don’t see eye to eye on the safety of vaccinations.
Anti-vaxxers cite conspiracy between the CDC and pharmaceutical companies leading to the promotion of unsafe drugs to the American public.
Pro-vaxxers cite a long history of immunizations ending the spread of disease and point out FDA, CDC, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other federal agencies routinely monitor use of vaccines and investigate any potential safety concerns.
As states are reworking their mandatory vaccine rules, opponents are organizing a nationwide Millions March on Aug. 31 to promote medicinal freedom and oppose mandatory vaccines.
There isn’t a Kauai march scheduled for that day, but Liljengren and other anti-vaxxers will be attending a Sept. 14 meeting on Oahu to join forces with those opposing the new rules.
“I’ll bring information back from that to Kauai,” Liljengren said. “We talked to Ige and he didn’t listen to us. We’re unhappy. We’re appealing it.”
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Jessica Else, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or at jelse@thegardenisland.com
Editor’s note: This story has been edited to correct errors.
The DOH is sugar coating & stating parents can still get a med exemption & religious exemption. What wasn’t told was that Hawaii will adopt the ACIPs recommendation where they make it almost impossible to get a medical exemption. Worst yet on Kauai peds don’t typically like to acknowledge that a child has had an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Need to report any reaction to VAERS. Even when the child has had chronic seizures from a vaccine and it states it on vaccine insert. The indoctrination that vaccines are safe & effective is the standard M.O. Definition of SAFE in dictionary #1 says: free from harm or risk. The Vaccine Injury Compensation programs is proof that vaccines aren’t 100% safe & definitely not free of risk! When the golden standard of safety testing in medicine is a double blind placebo study does not have to be done ya better bet there IS risk. Effective definition says: producing a decided, decisive or desired effect. Well when vaccinated humans are still breaking out w/measles or whooping cough ya can hardly say the efficacy of vaccines are a 100% effective right? Find info on CDC website. It is a violation of our Constitutional Rights, body autonomy & sovereignty. What happened to when back in the day there used to be measles parties? People aren’t dropping dead from measles but they are dropping dead from an opioid epidemic which are the same manufactures of the so called safe vaccines! There is data that shows disease was on the decline before vaccines came about (fact), do your research friends. If the state of Hawaii states that almost 99% of everyone is vaccinated then what are they worried about an outbreak for? LOL!!! Maybe the state took $ from Big Pharma, someone sold out. The article only mentions Pro Vaxxers & Anti Vaxxers which is horribly misleading. What about the X Vaxxers? Why create a divide here? X Vaxxers are the bread & butter of this medical freedom movement as we have children who are injured & have suffered a LISTED adverse reaction to a vaccine(s). In 1986 congress passed the Nat’l Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. Why? Pharmaceutical co’s were being sued left & right. Pharma threatened to stop making vaccines, an uneducated president among others panicked. 1960 there were 5 vaccines, 1989 there were 24, 2019 there are 72 now mandated! 150 diseases are listed on the vaccine inserts. Human Health Services from 1986 per the order of Congress were to submit bi annual data (safety) reports on vaccines. Recently HHS was just taken to court (sued) for NOT providing data for 32 yrs! CDC let th slip bye too. CDC tells the Am. Academy of Peds what vaccines to give. I can go on forever about this really. Pls ask yourself why they just don’t do the study it’s that simple, vaccinated vs un-vaccinated. Do the study and let the citizens of this great nation of freedom choose. Why has medical & religious exemptions risen so much in last few years? People are getting hurt, children and parents are talking. Our Hawaii is now the most vaccinated state in the US, second in line Rhode Island and even they have a little more wiggle room. It’s an awful situation when they they are allowed to use the DOE as a pawn. Shame on you Gov. Ige you were presented & provided w/ so much vital info. we all thought you’d do the right thing.
It is not necessary to interview people who still think vaccines cause autism. There is zero evidence for that, and not even a known biological mechanism for it.