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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont chapter of the National Education Association, the largest union in the state, is supporting legislation that would remove the philosophical exemption to vaccinations for parents who don't want their children immunized.
Vermont-NEA President Martha Allen says the fact that almost a third of Vermont's public schools have vaccination rates lower than what's considered safe is alarming and unacceptable. She says now that the country is seeing the worst measles outbreak since it was eradicated nearly 15 years ago, it's time to make sure children who can be vaccinated gets the protection they and society deserve.
Vermont is in the top three states for people taking the exemption.
Lawmakers have announced plans to introduce a bill to eliminate the exemption. A similar effort failed three years ago.
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