Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas this year has been the center of the nation's largest measles outbreak in more than two decades, as a mostly eradicated disease has sickened more than 700 in the state, sent dozens to hospitals and led to the death of two children who were unvaccinated.
But even as the outbreak slows, a bill approved by state lawmakers and sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott would make it significantly easier for parents to enroll their children in school without standard vaccinations for diseases such as measles, whooping cough, polio and hepatitis A and B.
Supporters say the bill streamlines an already legal exemption process that allows families to avoid vaccines for reasons of conscience, religious beliefs or medical reasons. It would let them download the required forms from a website instead of contacting state health officials and waiting for one to come in the mail.
The bill does not change which vaccines are required. However, critics say easing the exemption process opens a door to further outbreaks with potentially deadly results.
'If this bill becomes law, Texas is likely to see more illness, more death and higher health care costs for families and business,' Rekha Lakshmanan, chief strategy officer for Texas-based nonprofit Immunization Project, told state senators before the bill won final approval.
'The outbreak (in Texas) is not a coincidence. It is the canary in the coal mine screaming at the top of its lungs,' she said.
The exemption bill — as well as other bills passed by the Texas House on lawsuits against vaccine makers and removing immunization restrictions on organ transplants — are a snapshot of efforts across dozens of conservative states to question vaccines or roll back requirements.
At the national level, this wave has been buoyed by still-lingering pushback from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration's embrace of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine advocates before being appointed secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
The most recent federal data shows U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have dipped since the pandemic — 92.7% in the 2023-24 school year compared to 95% before COVID-19 — and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high. And last week, the 'Make America Healthy Again' federal report on the nation's health and wellness questioned the necessity of vaccine mandates for schoolkids.
The national Association of Immunization Managers, an organization of state and local immunization officials, has been tracking nearly 600 vaccine-related bills across the country in 2025, and the majority would not be considered pro-vaccine, said Brent Ewig, the group's the group's chief policy officer.
'We saw a spike in vaccine-related bills during the pandemic. The last few years it had been tapering off. With recent actions at the federal level, there has been a spike again,' Ewig said.
The Texas measles outbreak and vaccine requirements
Measles has been considered eliminated from the United States since 2000. The Texas outbreak started in late January in West Texas' Mennonite communities that have been resistant to vaccines and distrustful of government intervention, and the highly contagious virus quickly jumped to other places with low vaccination rates.
Like many states, Texas requires children to obtain vaccines to protect against 11 diseases to attend public and private schools and child care centers. The state's vaccination rates for the 2023-24 school year ranged between 93.78% for chicken pox to 95.78% for hepatitis B.
But parents can obtain exemptions for religious or personal reasons, or if a doctor determines it would not be safe because of a medical condition.
Exemption rates in Texas have been rising for nearly two decades, with a dramatic spike over the last five years. According to the Texas Department of Health Services, the agency received exemption requests for nearly 153,000 students in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, up from 136,000 the previous year and nearly double the 77,000 requested in 2019.
Texas' vaccine rollback
The bill on vaccine exemption paperwork would make it easier for parents to obtain the needed form by letting them download it to a computer or smartphone. The current system where parents ask state health officials to mail a paper copy to their home can sometimes take weeks. The form would still need to be notarized before it is turned in to a school and a student is enrolled.
Advocates say the changes would help parents thread the bureaucratic process and get their children enrolled in school quicker.
'This bill is not about whether vaccines are good or bad, it's about government efficiency and keeping kids in schools,' said Jackie Schlegal, founder of Texans for Medical Freedom, which advocates for 'vaccine freedom of choice.'
Critics argue that simplifying the exemption form process makes it too easy for unvaccinated kids to enroll in a school, endangering the health of other kids and families.
"For years Texas has struck a delicate balance of parents' right and public health and safety," Lakshmanan said. 'This bill is more than just a form ... We can support parents without putting other families at risk.'
Still waiting for a Senate vote is a bill that would allow vaccine makers who advertise in Texas to be sued if their vaccine causes a person to be injured. That bill has been opposed by the Texas Association of Manufacturers.
The author of that bill is first-term state Rep. Shelley Luther, who was briefly jailed in 2020 for opening her Dallas salon in violation of governor's emergency order during the pandemic. Abbott quickly weakened his enforcement of coronavirus safeguards and a court ordered her released.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aya Healthcare acquires Locum's Nest to enhance NHS staffing solutions
Aya Healthcare has acquired Locum's Nest, a UK-based workforce solutions provider that connects healthcare professionals with available shifts in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals through a mobile application. Founded by Drs Nicholas Andreou and Ahmed Shahrabani in 2016, Locum's Nest was established to streamline the process of filling vacant shifts in NHS hospitals with qualified healthcare professionals. The company developed a cloud-based platform featuring a managed float pool system covering several hospitals and regions. Locum's Nest will continue to operate under its own brand identity. Aya Healthcare CEO Emily Hazen said: 'We are excited to welcome Locum's Nest to the Aya family of brands and are energised by the opportunity to transform healthcare staffing around the world through innovation, technology and purpose.' Locum's Nest serves as a technology partner for the NHS and focuses on improving the working conditions and overall experience of the contingent workforce. Its float pool system enables NHS Trusts to share workforce resources, promoting cost-effectiveness while supporting staff with suitable shift arrangements. Dr Andreou said: 'We're thrilled to partner with Aya in advancing our collective mission to improve healthcare worldwide. 'Aya's resources and expertise will help us grow faster, innovate more boldly, and ultimately make a greater difference.' Aya Healthcare, a healthcare staffing and talent software company in the US, operates a comprehensive digital staffing platform that offers various healthcare labour services. The services include allied health, interim leadership, locum tenens, non-clinical roles, per diem staffing, permanent hiring, and travel nursing. In December 2024, Aya Healthcare announced the acquisition of workforce solutions advisory company Cross Country Healthcare for approximately $615m. "Aya Healthcare acquires Locum's Nest to enhance NHS staffing solutions" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
THC ban vetoed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, instead calls special session to talk regulation
A bill banning the sale of hemp-derived products in Texas was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott late Sunday night. Senate Bill 3 would have prohibited the sales of Delta-8, Delta-9, and THC-infused beverages, while still allowing non-intoxicating cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG. The bill was sent to Abbott's desk on May 27 and he had until June 22 to either sign the bill into law or veto it. He vetoed the bill at deadline, but called on the state to strongly regulate hemp immediately. Abbott said he will call a special legislative session to begin on July 21 "to craft a law that does as much as possible to corral the problems while also being structured so that it can go into effect this year." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls out Abbott Shortly after the bill was vetoed, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the staunchest supporters of SB3, called out Abbott, saying he remained totally silent on the bill throughout the legislative session. "His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans in the legislature, strongly backed by law enforcement, many in the medical and education communities, and the families who have seen their loved ones' lives destroyed by these very dangerous drugs, leaves them feeling abandoned," Patrick posted on X. "I feel especially bad for those who testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses." Patrick said he will have more to say about the veto at a press conference Monday in Austin. What is the difference between THC and CBD? Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its sibling, cannabidiol (CBD), are produced by the same cannabis plant and have similar chemical structures but differ dramatically in their mechanisms of action and effects on brain functions, according to the National Institutes of Health. THC and CBD both have therapeutic properties, however, impairments and increased incidence of mental health diseases are associated with acute and chronic THC use, according to the NIH. NIH also said there are significant side effects are associated with chronic use of high-dose CBD.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
J.J. Spaun's path to U.S. Open title helped by a shot onto an umbrella
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — J.J. Spaun knows as well as anyone how one little shot can make such a huge difference, even if it's only 85 yards to a green in the shape of a red umbrella floating in the middle of a lake. It wasn't a shot that won the U.S. Open. Spaun will be remembered far more for the driver he hit onto the 17th green at Oakmont to take the lead, and for the 65-foot putt on the last hole to cap off his sensational birdie-birdie finish at golf's toughest test. This shot was five years ago at the Travelers Championship. It was no less important to Spaun, who has Type 1 diabetes but didn't know it at the time. 'It's crazy,' said Andy Bessette, the executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers Insurance, and a familiar face behind the tournament. 'Not everything in life is for a reason, but at times you have to step back and think it's too weird it happened that way.' A 15-year tradition at the Travelers is 'The Umbrella at 15 1/2 Challenge,' where players during the pro-am hit an 85-yard shot at the umbrella that sits in the lake between the 15th and 16th holes at the TPC River Highland. The closest to the pin is given $10,000 to donate to charity. It was in 2020 when Spaun — who had been misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes some 18 months earlier — hit his lob wedge to 19 inches to win the challenge. The charity of his choice: The Junior Diabetes Research Foundation, now known as Breakthrough T1D. 'When Travelers got word of where I wanted that donation to go, Andy Bessette kind of broke down apparently and was touched very deeply because he's a very integral part of that charity and donates quite a lot of money, too,' Spaun said. 'So that initiated our connection.' Bessette's son, Chris, was was diagnosed with Type 1 in 2011 at age 18. They are deeply connected with Breakthrough T1D, and when he heard where Spaun directed his donation, the Bessette family immediately matched it. So began a relationship that became more valuable than Spaun could have imagined. Even after the initial diagnosis of Type 2 in the fall of 2018, Spaun kept losing weight and energy. Something wasn't right and he knew it. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to little or no insulin. Type 2 is more common, mainly affect adults. The body doesn't make enough insulin and is often managed with lifestyle changes, such as diet. Once doctors got the diagnosis right in 2021, Spaun still struggled to find the right treatment for someone who spends five hours or more on the golf course. On one occasion, his close friend Harold Varner III noticed something off and encouraged to tap into Bessette's resources. 'We called him together, Harold and I, and I said, 'J.J., anything you need, you tell me.' He told me what was going on. It was about getting the right kind of care," Bessette said. In this case, it was a new product that allowed insulin to be inhaled instead of injections, far easier to manage on the course. Bessette also connected him with a doctor in Los Angeles who worked with athletes on how to handle blood sugar levels. 'He is very well connected with the diabetes community, so all these doctors were at my disposal,' Spaun said. A tough road is nothing new to Spaun. He was a walk-on at San Diego State. He spent three years on developmental circuits before reaching the PGA Tour. He had to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour, fell as low as No. 584 in the world ranking in 2021 and won for the first time a year later at the Texas Open. Spaun has dips in form, as most golfers do. He was worried a year ago about losing his card until he pulled it together late last year. He was getting closer, losing in a playoff at The Players Championship to Rory McIlroy, before his epic breakthrough at Oakmont. It resonated in some corners more than others. 'It was awesome to see him have the week he had,' said Eric Cole, who also has Type 1 diabetes and has risen from the mini-tours to play in six of the last seven majors. 'It's cool to see diabetes doesn't slow him down. He has a lot of extra stuff to deal with behind the scenes.' Imagine the thrill for Bessette when he watched Spaun overcome a misdiagnosis and manage Type 1 diabetes to handle the highest pressure in the game. Bessette can relate. He qualified as a hammer thrower for the 1980 Olympics that the U.S. boycotted. 'I think this is one of the most amazing achievements in sport for somebody who has Type 1, whose sugar levels are up and down, trying to keep them under control and win the U.S. Open,' Bessette said. 'Are you kidding me? It's brutal competition for four days. I told him, 'I'm amazed by what you did.'" Spaun returned to the Travelers Championship this year with an empty tank. He said blood sugar levels crashed hard after he won at Oakmont, from the battle on the back nine but more from the emotion and celebration and all the media obligations that followed. Five years after he hit an 85-yard shot onto a red umbrella, he returned with a big silver trophy as the U.S. Open champion. Bessette was beaming, and the connection wasn't lost on Spaun. 'He's kind of been there for me the whole way,' Spaun said. 'Even when I got my diagnosis corrected, I guess, it was even more so helpful to have JDRF and Andy on my side to kind of help me navigate another new territory.' ___
