Lesson looming for anti-vaxxers?

Exemptions would be rarer under proposed legislation

Ontario parents who buy in to Jenny McCarthy’s anti-vaccination gospel will soon have to sit down for a lesson from public health officials if they want non-medical exemptions for their kids.

Under a law proposed Friday by Health Minister Eric Hoskins, the same rule will apply to families seeking religious exemptions, as the province moves to counter outbreaks of measles, mumps, whooping cough and other diseases, with some Toronto schools having vaccination rates under 70 per cent and one as low as 50 per cent.

That’s far below the level needed for herd immunity, which helps protect people who can’t get the shots for valid medical reasons, Hoskins said Friday while announcing an expansion of the provincial immunization strategy.

“It takes all of us to protect each of us,” he told reporters, noting about 2 per cent of the population does not get vaccinated.

“What’s most disturbing to me as a physician and public health specialist is that some Ontarians remain hesitant about having themselves and their children vaccinated, due mostly to the baseless fears spread by a small but vocal group of antivaccine activists.”

In the absence of vaccine exemptions, schools require children’s vaccinations be up-to-date to remain in class and can issue suspensions if that is not proven with official records. Some people object to vaccinations on principle but, in many cases, parents have just not made the time to take their kids to the doctor for the shots they need, Hoskins said.

In Ottawa, public health officials have issued 5,000 suspension notices this month.

The proposed change to the Immunization of School Pupils Act would take effect in September and was applauded by public health agencies and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, which said vaccines have revolutionized preventative health care.

But the move was questioned by the lobby group Vaccine Choice Canada.

“What they’re attempting to do is pressure parents who are concerned, legitimately so, about addressing risk,” said Heather Fraser, a natural health practitioner in Toronto.

Parents should be sure to read the packaging inserts that come with vaccines to learn about risks, possible adverse reactions and clinical outcomes, she said.

Herd immunity helps protect people who can’t get the shots for valid medical reasons

“We encourage parents to ask questions,” added Fraser, who blames a vaccine for her son’s life-threatening allergy.

Hoskins said the government has a “responsibility” to make sure families are properly informed that “vaccines are a safe and effective way to prevent the spread of serious diseases” before making a decision.

One father said he’s concerned the government isn’t going far enough with the policy because unvaccinated children can still end up in schools, but said it’s “a step in the right direction.”

“It only covers part of the problem,” said Glenn White of Pickering, whose family made news in January when his infant son, Griffin, was potentially exposed to measles in a doctor’s office and his wife, Jennifer, slammed anti-vaxxers.

“Children who are not vaccinated will be out in public areas, in daycares, where other people will be susceptible,” White said Friday.

Ontario’s auditor general has criticized the government for not adequately tracking how many citizens have been vaccinated against certain diseases and whether the immunization program is cost-effective.