This is a local mailing I get.  It has a section where parents can respond in the mailing, but I couldn't forward it b/c it would be an attachment and not sent.  So here's a copy of the article.  While it is pro-vaccination, it is for the philosophical exemption.

      Nellie



            STREETTALK 

      A SHOT IN THE DARK by Charlotte Lancaster

      In one of the Texas legislature's more paradoxical attempts to improve our lives, Representative Rick Green (R-Dripping Springs) has introduced a bill that will make it easier for parents to decline immunizations for their children. Mr. Green claims that the changes he proposes will actually increase the number of children inoculated each year.

      Strangely enough, he may be right. Under current law, parents have only two options: either have your kids vaccinated against everything, or refuse all inoculations completely (on religious grounds). As approved by the Public Health Committee last week, HB 1702 allows parents to select which vaccines their children receive. The bill also broadens the exemption to allow for refusal on the grounds of "conscience," not just a strict adherence to religious precepts.

      Over the past two decades, concerns have arisen about the overall safety of some childhood inoculations. Conditions such as autism and multiple sclerosis have been tentatively linked to certain vaccinations. In addition, champions of holistic medicine have questioned the validity of vaccinating children against primarily adult diseases like Hepatitis-B. The intended effect of HB 1702 is to have children receive at least some of the inoculations recommended by the Texas Department of Health, even if parents refuse a portion of them.

      Naturally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta disapproves of the proposal, maintaining that no medical evidence proves that vaccinations cause afflictions, aside from the rare allergic reaction. The CDC and other respected medical institutions stress the dramatic improvement in children's health brought about by the current immunization programs.

      Given the choice, most parents will probably still immunize their children against all diseases. However, removal of the "all or nothing" provision of the state health code may get more kids immunized in the long run.

 

    
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
 

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