Canadian legislators are pushing a novel way to hopefully convince anti-vaxxers to change their minds. Under a new law being considered in Ontario, parents wishing to opt-out of the province’s publicly funded vaccination program would have to take a health course on vaccinations first.
It’s called the Immunization of School Pupils Act, because decorum kept the provincial Liberal government from calling it the Read A G*ddamn Book Act. It would require that parents attend an education session before they could opt-out of vaccinations.
Only 2% of Ontarian parents opt-out of vaccinating their children and Ontarian school districts are already allowed to suspend students who aren’t up-to-date on their vaccinations. Last year, Toronto Public Health sent letters to 45,000 students to warn them of suspension and Canada’s capital went even further, sending home over 7,000 letters ordering students to stay home until they could produce proof of vaccination or exemption.
Still, even small populations of unvaccinated children can cause harm. With recent outbreaks of measles occuring in the U.S., Ontario is looking to strengthen its immunization program.
“Choosing to vaccinate your child protects them from disease, and it protects vulnerable children who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons. That’s why it’s important for parents to keep their children’s immunizations up to date,” Minister of Health Eric Hoskins said in a statement about the proposed legislation. “If passed, the proposed amendments to the Immunization of School Pupils Act would help parents and guardians make informed decisions about vaccination.”
(via CBC)