Anti-vaccine bill is vetoed by Gov. Edwards

(lailluminator.com) — Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill requiring K-12 schools to send exemption information when communicating with students and their families about vaccine requirements.

House Bill 399 was authored by Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, who has a history of spreading vaccine misinformation and introducing anti-vax legislation. She introduced six such bills last year, none of which passed, and four this year, two of which were approved.

Edwards has not yet taken action on a separate bill from Edmonston that prohibits COVID-19 vaccine requirements in schools.

In his veto message, Edwards said he rejected the bill because it is “a covert attempt to undermine the faith of the public in vaccines.”

“Perpetuating mistrust in vaccines that are safe, effective, and essential to public health is reckless and extremely dangerous,” Edwards wrote.

Louisiana law provides for generous vaccine exemptions, allowing students to opt out for moral reasons without the need to provide further reasoning. Opponents of Edmonston’s proposal argue that highlighting the exemption process would lead to more people forgoing safe and Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines, which could lead to preventable outbreaks in schools.

This article originally published in the July 3, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.