A Vaccine Bill in Hawaii
After listening to Hawaii residents speak out against vaccines and saying they cause everything from autism to the Zika virus, Hawaii lawmakers killed a bill to speed up the state’s process for adopting federal vaccination guidelines.
The bill would have allowed the state Health Department to more easily adopt the federal rules, which some opponents of the measure fear would result in more vaccinations. Under the bill considered by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health, the department would have 90 days to adopt rules.
Immediately after hearing opposition to the bill, Sen. Rosalyn Baker said today it wouldn’t move forward. Her announcement came before the usual time when lawmakers decide on the bills.
Baker said the bill didn’t pass because there seemed to be “so much confusion and a lot of misinformation” about what it would do.
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Vaccinations are a hot-button issue across the nation. For decades, critics have said vaccines can cause debilitating side effects — most notably autism, which scientific research has debunked.
