The reason the bill has made its way into the state legislature is that as vaccination rates have begun to drop over the past few years, public health concerns have increased. In October 2019, the CT Mirror reported that the number of Connecticut schools without “herd protection” vaccination rates* had spiked more than 30% from the previous year. Religious exemptions were cited as the main culprit of the increase.

The bill has been met with vigorous resistance from anti-vaccine activists, as well as those in the community who believe in the anti-vaxxers’ science-free position. Almost 550 people registered to testify in front of the committee, and protested the committee proceedings as well. This pressure led to a series of amendments getting added to the bill, including grandfathering in children already enrolled in school who had received a religious exemption.

The lawmakers who opposed the bill argued a few things, ranging from how quickly the bill was being moved through and into law to a citizen’s right to choose. But ignorance still held sway, as one of the two Democratic officials, Rep. Jack Hennessy of Bridgeport, told NBC that “The whole idea of injecting a witches brew of chemicals that may work in a laboratory when it comes into the body there is no telling what happens. What is being presented in this bill is not the truth. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing.”

This, of course, Is Not A Thing. Calling infectious disease scientists and medical practitioners “witches” who have concocted a “brew” of “chemicals” is dumb and misleading. You may have an opinion that your God (or gods) don’t want you to use science and medicine to help yourself or your children. You may believe that the greater community’s public health is not as important as your individual right to make decisions about your child’s medical care. But, besides being ignorant about the science, you are being dumb about the science. The distinction is that telling people hyperbolic bullshit that not only lacks evidence to back it up, but is contradicted by all available evidence, is something a dumb person does.

The bill would not end medical exemptions, and would require a physician’s approval.

*A 95% and higher vaccination rate is considered enough to offer up enough protection in a given community and help ensure better health outcomes for those who cannot be vaccinated against diseases, like children with compromised immune systems.