COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Iowa House considers a bill to eliminate student vaccine requirements, which would make Iowa the first state without any vaccination mandates for students.
- Bill that would end vaccine requirements for students passes committee in Iowa House
- Decline in vaccination rates in Iowa and Nebraska in recent years
- 1 case of the measles found in Lincoln-Lancaster County
Iowa House considers bill to end student vaccine requirements
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that would make the state the first in the nation without any vaccine requirements for students. Vaccination rates against the measles continue to decline in the state, as measles cases surge nationwide.
The bill passed out of committee Wednesday and now heads to the full House for consideration.
CDC data shows about 89% of Iowa students were vaccinated last school year, down from 93% five years ago. Experts attribute the decline to misinformation that became more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are seeing the repercussions of vaccine hesitancy in the measles outbreaks that are occurring in multiple parts of the country," said Dr. Mark Rupp, interim chair of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Internal Medicine.
The declining vaccination rates come as measles cases are on the rise. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department recently reported one case of measles. The CDC has confirmed more than 700 cases nationwide this year. Vaccination rates for measles are falling in both Iowa and Nebraska.
If vaccination rates continue to drop, doctors expect diseases like measles to continue surging.
"The proof is in the pudding. Look back a few decades. See what impact those diseases had on our society and that's where we're going end up going back too," Rupp said.
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