BEND BULLETIN: Lawmakers hope peer pressure drops rate of unvaccinated children.
BEND BULLETIN: Lawmakers hope peer pressure drops rate of unvaccinated children.
Dr. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a Democratic senator from Portland, authored a bill now awaiting Gov. Kate Brown’s signature that would require schools to notify parents of their immunization rates. It’s no secret that several schools in Deschutes County lack herd immunity, but schools have never been required to share that information with each and every parent.
Local public health and school officials think parents will devour the information. Tami Pike, the head of health services for Bend-La Pine Schools, also worries that it will make school an uncomfortable place for families who’ve stated philosophical objections to state-required vaccines. “I’m hoping it won’t cause any more increased stress,” Pike said. “Are we putting this information out there to put pressure on parents who don’t immunize?”
