Yesterday New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law A2371 (
full text) repealing Pub. Health Law
Sec. 2164, subd. 9 which has provided a religious exemption from mandatory vaccination requirements. In a
press release announcing Cuomo's signing of the bill, the Governor's office said in part:
The United States is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years, with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have unacceptably low rates of vaccination, and those unvaccinated children can often attend school where they may spread the disease to other unvaccinated students. This new law will help protect the public amid this ongoing outbreak....
Governor Cuomo said. "While I understand and respect freedom of religion, our first job is to protect the public health and by signing this measure into law, we will help prevent further transmissions and stop this outbreak right in its tracks."
USA Herald reports on the new law.
