MADISON — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature plans to take the final step Wednesday needed to prevent the administration of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers from requiring seventh graders to get a meningitis shot.
The state Senate and Assembly plan to take action that would block the proposal. There is no current meningitis vaccination requirement for Wisconsin students.
The Legislature’s vote would also make it easier for parents to obtain a waiver of the chickenpox vaccination requirement that is in effect for all students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The Evers administration wanted to require parents seeking an exemption from the chickenpox vaccination to provide proof that their child has previously been infected.
The Advisory Council on Immunization Practices, experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have recommended that students be vaccinated against meningitis since 2005.
However, some parents complained in a public hearing that the proposed requirements violated their freedoms. Health officials said they were trying to protect the health of the students.
Meningitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord that can also cause blood infections. It can be deadly or cause a lifelong disability. Rates of the disease have been declining in the United States since the 1990s and remain low in Wisconsin and across the country, according to the CDC.
Vaccines for both meningitis and chickenpox are widely used and have been shown to be safe and effective.
In March, a Republican-led legislative committee voted to block the proposed policy changes, just as it did two years ago and despite objections from Democrats and health officials. The Legislature’s vote on Wednesday is the final step needed to stop the policy’s enactment.
2023-06-07 19:27:56
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