HB1022

I oppose allowing religious exemptions from vaccination requirements. The importance of religious freedoms are in this case outweighed by the danger posed to vulnerable individuals by rampant, deadly infections. Allowing polio, measles, rubella, etc to run rampant through our communities because people are distrustful of vaccines is outrageous and will harm Granite Staters who had no say in the decision. We do not allow people to drive drunk because of the risk posed to others, we should not allow people to forego life-saving vaccinations.

This is insanity.

As John Stuart Mill wrote in On Liberty: "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.... Over himself, over his body and mind, the individual is sovereign" Vaccinating your children not only protects them, but prevents the harm to others. As a government, there is an obligation to create rules that optimize the safety of the children in our schools.

This is a link to a map of confirmed measles cases in the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepared by Johns Hopkin s Center for Health Security. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/dd314001921f4d2eac160f89ded0b49a, States like Maine with mandatory vaccines immunization coverage of 95-100 percent have few cases of measles (with the exception of California). Texas is interesting, The areas with 95-100 percent immunization coverage have no cases. The other areas with lower immunization coverage have measles cases. NH is lucky that it is in the 90-95 percent immunization coverage range and it does not have any reported cases of measles. Approval of this bill will lower our immunization coverage percentage. A vote for this bill is a political choice not a health choice for NH.

Vaccines save lives. No more needs to be said.

Poor people need to have good and sufficient food.

A terrible bill! sincerely, Mark Meess, MD

We need vaccines to keep our kids safe.

I strongly oppose this bill. Immunizations have been proven to work. Please don’t cause undo harm to this most vulnerable in our society.

Vaccines are a vital part of keeping everyone in society free from preventable illnesses. We don't need to make exemptions easier. We should be doing all it takes to avoid a measles outbreak not finding ways to make one more likely.

No major world religion explicitly forbids vaccinations. This bill is unnecessary and a tool to allow parents to skip childhood vaccines.

We need to maintain the public health safety ever our community!

What happened to separation of church and state!

I am opposing all of the bills being heard today (1811, 1022, and 1671) all are disastrous to the health and well-being of our general public and could only be considered a good idea by someone without personal experience with pre-vax diseases. Polio, TB, Measles, etc.

Granting exemptions from immunizations due to religious preference endangers ALL of us!

I oppose this bill and any bill that undermines the administering of life-saving vaccines. This is a see-through attempt to make it even easier for uneducated parents to lie about their “deeply held religious beliefs” so as not to make their Sweet Little Timmy autistic with the evil vaccines. That was sarcasm, because vaccines are perfectly safe, and do NOT cause autism—which any real scientist or immunologist will tell you. Robert Kennedy Jr. has no medical knowledge or degrees and taking his advice on medicine is foolish and dangerous. We can’t know if “God” is real, and mad at you for taking a life-saving vaccine. We DO know that vaccines save lives. And this is supposed to be a safe, developed country in which children do not need to die from preventable illnesses. Getting a religious exemption should be a DIFFICULT and thorough process, because we don’t exist in a void, and everything you do affects the people around you. If you want to be free from the responsibilities of society and basic public health, perhaps you should live in some remote cave in a mountain, where your polio and pox can’t cripple anyone else. I want my children safe. (Also, autistic people are awesome and creative and smart—just saying.)

This should have a clause that if these people feel strongly that their religious beliefs prevent them from getting vaccines, then they should need the signature of their faith leader as well as themselves. This leads to a huge loophole where anyone can write this at any time for any reason without any kind of oversight.

I oppose this bill for the benefit of NH voters.

Vaccines are vitally important for the health of our citizens and communities.

Please protect ALL the citizens on NH by opposing this bill. Immunizations are important to protect us all!!!!!!!!

I am a retired Pediatrician who worked for Dartmouth Health for 25 years. I cannot state strongly enough how dangerous it would be to repeal statutory immunization requirements for children! We are already seeing the damage inflicted by decreasing vaccine rates in the Measles outbreaks happening around the country. Please contact me with questions. Thank you!

Policies should balance religious freedom with community health protections and maintain strong vaccination coverage standards

I am strongly against this assault on the public health of our populace and our children. Thank you.