Like every other state, Kansas requires a variety of vaccinations for young children, all designed to prevent deadly diseases — polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and others.
“Routine childhood immunizations against infectious diseases are an integral part of our public health infrastructure,” says the American Academy of Pediatrics. “STAND UP for your kids to keep them healthy,” says Nurture KC. “If you don’t, who will? Vaccines save lives.”
So it’s beyond disturbing that some Kansas lawmakers may still try, this year, to loosen or eliminate all vaccine requirements in the state. Yes, all, not just those involving the COVID-19 vaccine.
No such bill exists — yet. But one lawmaker is “quite confident” an anti-vaccine proposal will be introduced later in the session, as a last-minute amendment to an existing bill, or as a “gut and go” measure. Five other legislators voiced similar concerns.
There is, of course, a twisted logic in extending COVID-19 vaccine exemptions to other inoculations and medicines. As we’ve said before, it makes no sense to make kids get shots to prevent polio and then claim COVID-19 vaccines are tyranny.
But eliminating shots for students and preschoolers, even indirectly, cannot be the answer.
