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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Immunization bill passes Senate, 31-3

Legislation to expand the reach of Idaho's voluntary IRIS immunization reminder system by making it an "opt-out" for parents of newborns rather than requiring them to actively "opt-in" has passed the Senate on a 31-3 vote. Backers said the change should help with Idaho's bottom-rung immunization rates, which Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, called "embarrassing." SB 1335 is sponsored by Senate Health & Welfare Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, and has backing from an array of health groups, from the Idaho Medical Association to the Idaho Hospital Association.

Idaho's immunization rates are so low that its rate for measles is lower than that of Indonesia, Pakistan or Croatia, and its rate for polio is below that of Botswana, Latvia and Sri Lanka, according to the Idaho Division of Health. Overall, just 57.6 percent of Idaho children have the recommended immunizations, according to the 2007-08 National Immunization Survey. Washington was at 73.7 percent, and the national average is 77.2 percent.

The three opponents included Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, who spoke against the bill, saying immunization reminders shouldn't be made available in Spanish because English is the state's official language. Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, said a nurse tried to bully him into getting his newborn child an unneeded shot when the baby was born, and Sen. Shirley McKague, R-Meridian, said a constituent contacted her with privacy concerns. IRIS is a secure Web-based system available only to health care providers; the bill now moves to the House.



Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.