Hundreds Protest Bill In New Jersey That Would Remove Religion As Recognized Reason Not To Vaccinate Children
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey is closer to removing religion as a recognized reason not to vaccinate children. Anti-vaccination protesters gathered outside of the New Jersey State House in Trenton.
With megaphones, whistles and loud chants, hundreds of demonstrators staged an ear-splitting protest outside of the State House on Thursday to protect their right not to vaccinate their children.
"Obviously, we're trying our hardest to be loud so we can be heard," protester Marissa Reilly said.
Senate Bill 2173 and a companion bill that passed the full assembly last month would do away with religious exemptions from school-mandated vaccines. The amendment was voted on and passed Thursday. The actual bill is expected to move next week.
Health officials and politicians blame an explosion of parents using such exemptions for declining rates of vaccination participation and measles outbreaks.
"The religious exemption was so big and so wide that it really was meaningless," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said.
Weinberg is one of the bill's sponsors. She says despite the vocal opponents outside, the medical and public health communities broadly support mandatory vaccinations for school children. And if vaccination participation continues to decline, the state says more and more children can get sick from preventable illnesses.
"I think we, as legislators, have a responsibility to protect the larger population," Weinberg said.
Last month, protesters managed to stall the bill in the Senate and leadership wasn't sure if they would have enough votes to pass it.
"Part of our freedom is our religious freedom and that's what they're trying to do away with the passing of this bill," protester Robert Crystal said.