LD 51 will be heard in the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee of the Maine Legislature on April 3rd at 10am.  It would restore the religious and philosophical exemptions for students, and certain healthcare facilities. It would not repeal current immunization requirements or mandates; it would however reinstate the original religious and philosophical opt outs that existed for decades prior to 2019.  The following testimony has been submitted: Senator Rafferty, Representative Brennan, and distinguished members of the Joint Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, Ginger Taylor, MS, Maine Informed Consent, former director of the Maine Coalition for Vaccine Choice, 2009 […]

The Number Of Mainers That Have Contracted Measles In The 21st Century:  0 The last time a Mainer had measles was in 1997. – Johanna Mackenzie, MPH Epidemiologist, Division of Disease Surveillance, Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention In 2015, a visitor from Europe came to Kittery for a day of shopping. He had the measles. No one caught it. In 2017, a woman from Canada came down for a visit, and was diagnosed with measles in Maine the next day. No one caught it. Our current vaccine policy prevents measles in Maine. The exemption removal bill, LD 798 is […]

LD 798, An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements The Bill simply removes all religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions, for anyone, from anywhere in the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Health and Human Services law. “SUMMARY Current law allows exemptions from immunization requirements based on religious or philosophical beliefs for students in elementary and secondary schools and schools and health care facilities. This bill removes those exemptions. The bill also directs the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to […]

Days waited for the Maine Immunization Program to meet with us Subject: Our request for a meeting is 1,348 days outstanding Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2019 18:42:32 -0500 From: Ginger Taylor <ginger@mainevaxchoice.org> To: Philbrick, Tonya <Tonya.Philbrick@maine.gov> CC: Wolanski, Lori <Lori.Wolanski@maine.gov>, Bruce Bates <Bruce.Bates@maine.gov> Ms. Philbrick, In 2015, after repeated requests, both you and Kenneth Albert, speaking on behalf of the Maine Immunization Program, refused to meet with the leadership of the Maine Coalition for Vaccine Choice, or answer questions we had for the MIP in writing.  Mr. Albert communicated to us that we were not a priority for the program.  […]

As in 2015, The Maine Vaccine Consumer Protection Program bill has been submitted to the Maine State Legislature. Some legislators have not yet come to understand that the conflict over vaccine uptake is not lack of parental understanding on vaccine safety and efficacy, it is the lack of physician and public health understanding on vaccine safety and efficacy, and the fact that the vaccine injury epidemic is not being addressed.  Rep. Ralph Tucker has announced that he will be bringing a bill to repeal the philosophical and religious exemptions for school entry, and throw children out of school, rather than addressing […]