Anti-Vaxxers Storm Albany In Hopes Of Saving Religious Exemptions For Vaccines
At A Glance
- Doctors Debunk Measles Myths
- Why 'Measles Parties' Are Bad Idea
- Lawmakers Look To End Religious Exemptions
- Complete Coverage
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Despite the worst outbreak of the measles in a generation, hundreds of parents and so-called anti-vaxxers rallied in Albany Tuesday.
They are urging lawmakers to stop a bill that would end religious exemptions for vaccinations.
Robert Kennedy Jr. was among the protesters questioning the safety of vaccines. Health authorities blame misinformation for the recent outbreak; predominately centered in the Tri-state area.
There have been more than 770 cases in New York State alone.
The CDC says the measles vaccine is safe and effective. Dr. Jon LaPook of CBS News asked demonstrators about their objections to the widely accepted science of vaccines.
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"How many people in this room do not believe the information coming from the Centers for Disease Control," LaPook asked a room of anti-vaxxing parents who all raised their hands.
"The rabbis tell us that there's nothing in Judaism that prohibits vaccinations," LaPook told a parent at the protest.
"It doesn't matter," she replied.
Most of New York's measles cases have been traced to Orthodox Jewish communities in the state.
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