Frenzied anti-vaxxers deter NJ lawmakers from voting on religious exemptions

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 04: Anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree speaks with journalists before entering an anti-vaccine symposium on June 4, 2019. (credit: Getty | The Washington Post)

A small but vociferous pack of anti-vaccination protesters deterred New Jersey lawmakers on Monday from voting on a bill to ban vaccination exemptions based on religious grounds.

The vote is now postponed. The bill's sponsors plan to whip up support and another vote by the end of the legislative session on January 14, 2020.

The bill, S2173, would ban religious vaccination exemptions for kids attending all schools in the state-preschool through college, public and private-as well as those attending childcare centers. Under the proposed law, the only children allowed to be exempted from vaccination requirements are those who have medical grounds that are consistent with those laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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