Amid Nationwide Outbreaks, Colorado’s Immunization Rates Lag and the Cost of Preventable Disease Remains High
Colorado consistently outperforms other states when it comes to health measures; Colorado’s immunization rates, sadly, are an exception.
Posts from the ‘Personal Belief Exemption’ Category
Sep 18
Do You Know Your Child’s School’s Vaccination Rates? We Sure Do.
Guest post by Elizabeth Brown
When my son started public school, he had recently been diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency. His body could not produce cortisol, which negatively affects different systems in the body—especially the immune system. What is an innocuous cold for an otherwise healthy person could easily become life threatening for him. Read more
Feb 6
Measles Redux, The Unnecessary Epidemic
By Edwin J. Asturias, MD
This editorial appeared in The Denver Post Feb. 5.
Though dormant for years, measles reemerged this year with a vengeance. The first cases erupted in Disneyland before spreading outward, involving 14 states and counting. Now there are 102 confirmed cases, making it the largest measles outbreak since 1990.
This growing epidemic is fueling fierce debate over how to balance public health risks against the rights of increasing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. Read more
May 6
A Victory for Colorado Families
On Friday, April 29 the Colorado House of Representatives voted to pass, on concurrence, an amended version of House Bill 1288: Concerning Personal Belief Exemptions to Immunization Requirements for Children Prior to Attending School.
Many parents may be wondering what House Bill 1288, as currently written, means for their families and schools. As a parent of three school-age children who attend three different schools, the issue hits close to home—as it surely does for every parent who has made a vaccine decision on behalf of their children. Read more
