HB1811

As a mother of two children and a healthcare worker who specializes in pediatrics and neonatal care, I am very much opposed to this bill.. Vaccination is vital to keep our children protected. i have seen first hand the consequences of those who have chosen not to vaccinate their children. It is heartbreaking and unnecessary given the established safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Additionally, recent events clearly show the consequences of not vaccinating (ie measles outbreaks). We need to ensure we are making the most informed decisions for our children.

I do not support this bill.

This is crazy. Vaccines protect us all, and requiring them for school protects our children! We do not want to end up like the many communities in Texas where measles outbreaks have occurred and people are dying because they got rid of vaccine mandates!

I strongly oppose HB 1811 because removing childhood vaccine requirements for all children attending public schools or childcare facilities in NH will result in confusion over which vaccines are recommended and many parents may therefore stop vaccinating their children, assuming that if vaccines are not required, they must not be necessary or recommended. This will lead to less herd immunity and put newborn babies and immunocompromised people of all ages at risk of contracting viruses that will circulate in NH communities. Viruses that would otherwise not be able to get a foothold. Even people who purposefully choose a vaccine exemption for their children benefit from herd immunity because most parents in NH currently vaccinate their children. The human body is incredible and capable, but it cannot always win against viruses, which is why vaccines were developed in the first place. We have forgotten the suffering and death that are real results of infection with these viruses and should recognize that research shows that vaccination is far safer than the short term or long term effects of infection with viruses such as measles or polio. It is good to question safety and efficacy of anything you apply to your body or your children's bodies, but it is irresponsible to ignore expertise, science, and our well-documented history with these viruses in favor of fear mongering and ignorance. It is likely that most of you have lived in a highly immunized population for as long as these vaccines have been available, you must not deny that privilege to future generations.

Vaccinations save lives, not just of the recipients, but of those they come into contact with who are immunocompromised, elderly, pregnant, suffer from chronic diseases, and many more categories. As the child of an immunologist who works daily the healthcare industry, I know this is true and the backlash against vaccines is based on misinformation. Do the right thing for once and protect your most needy constituents. Do not become the enemy of science and healthcare providers.

The effectiveness of immunizations relies on herd immunity. Repealing these requirements puts many senior, disabled, children and medically fragile/immunocompromised people at risk. It endangers those whose jobs may put them in contact with unvaccinated people. It also flies in the face of medical research and science, and is counter to the recommendations of developed countries worldwide. It’s embarrassing that we’re even considering this. The potential to harm New Hampshire residents and their loved ones is vast.

Vaccinations are a public health issue that should be guided by medical experts and not politics. As Governor Ayotte has already said, “Childhood immunizations play an important role in preventing the resurgence and spread of previously deadly diseases.” The national debate on this topic is fueling a lot of fear and misinformation. When the statistics have shown that vaccinations keep our communities healthy and help to avoid serious consequences and even death. This bill is dangerous for our communities, schools, and individuals especially those who are immunocompromised.

I strongly oppose this bill. It is irresponsible & dangerous. Vaccines are extremely safe and protect all of us, especially our most vulnerable, from devastating, preventable illnesses.

Immunizations PROTECT NH children and others. Science is the answer to this bills bullshit!

Believe science! Children deserve to be protected and not murdered by laws that don’t protect them . Vaccines were invented in 1796…If this isn’t proof we need to invest more in Nh education I don’t know what is.

Herd immunity is the only way to reduce and eliminate risk of disease. If children are going to be in public, in schools or daycares they should be required to not risk the health and safety of others.

I oppose HB 1811 because repealing school immunization requirements would put student welfare at risk by increasing the likelihood of preventable disease outbreaks in schools and child care settings. Immunization policies protect not only individual children but also the broader school community, especially students who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Removing these requirements could lead to lower vaccination rates, higher absenteeism due to illness, and greater danger for medically vulnerable students. It would also weaken schools’ and public health officials’ ability to respond effectively to outbreaks, undermining safe learning environments and the overall health and well-being of students across New Hampshire.

The number of children who died and suffered from horrible diseases in the time before vaccines outweighs any harms caused by vaccine side effects by orders of magnifude. When I was young, Measles was a disease people *used to* get. This bill is absolutely unacceptable.

I want my children to not be exposed to preventable diseases. Shame on this legislature for ignoring science.

This is an absolutely idiotic measure that will set back public health 50 years.

I strongly oppose this bill.

I think I speak for many people when I say that we do not need an epidemic or outbreak of any preventable disease in any level of education. Vaccines help people and help make sure stuff like that doesn't happen.

I strongly oppose this bill. School vaccination requirements keep children, staff and the community safe from preventable diseases. Mandatory school immunization policy is the bare minimum for maintaining a modern, functioning public school system and workforce. In my professional life I work as a physician, and I know that increased measles cases like those driven by poor vaccine uptake not only run the risk of hurting or killing children unpredictably, they also "erase" previous immune resistance to other diseases, risk the lives of vulnerable or immunocompromised people in the community like babies or the elderly, and set up children for awful delayed disability and death like "sub-acute sclerosing pan-encephalitis" where young children can unpredictably lose their brain function years after getting sick. That's only one of many diseases controlled by vaccines. I am soon to be a parent and I would easily choose to leave New Hampshire rather than live somewhere with such blatant disregard for public wellbeing.

Let’s let science dictate what is best for public health.

The health of NH’s children is extremely important, and vaccines are an extremely important component of our modern health system. Allowing children to attend school without vaccines puts them and everyone else in our society at risk for diseases whose spread can managed or even eliminated if enough people get vaccinated. I believe that repealing the immunization requirements for children is the wrong thing to do in all cases, and would be an incredibly irresponsible action if passed. Do not repeal the requirement for children to receive their immunizations.