Hi. Kim here.  This is happening in my state, Connecticut.  Connecticut politicians are gunning for school age children whose families use the religious exemption.
 

HARTFORD (WFSB) - Religious reasons may no longer be an excuse not to get your children vaccinated.

Multiple sources are told Eyewitness News Friday the governor and the Department of Public Health are ready to take sides in the very controversial vaccination debate.

The numbers of non-vaccinated students grow each year and some lawmakers say the anti-vax families have been abusing the religious exemption and they’re looking to close the loophole. Read more here.

"Close the loophole."  A religious exemption is not a "loophole."  A closely held belief is not a loophole.  Calling those who use the exemption "anti-vax" and "abusers" is telling. Here we go, just like in New York and Califpharma.  Demonize the families. Makes them outlaws.  Color them in black hats. One of the politicians pushing to remove the exemption owns a health food store in my town. It's a lovely store, horribly overpriced, I'll say that. But with few choices and Whole Foods a good 20 minute ride away, folks shop there. Not I. Not many of my friends. I'd eat drive through Mickey D's for a month before I'd spend a nickel in his store.

Thou Shall Not Kill.

From CDC: What are the risks from DTaP vaccine?

• Redness, soreness, swelling, and tenderness where the shot is given are common after DTaP.
• Fever, fussiness, tiredness, poor appetite, and vomiting sometimes happen 1 to 3 days after DTaP vaccination.
• More serious reactions, such as seizures, non-stop crying for 3 hours or more, or high fever (over 105°F) after DTaP vaccination happen much less often. Rarely, the vaccine is followed by swelling of the entire arm or leg, especially in older children when they receive their fourth or fifth dose.
• Long-term seizures, coma, lowered consciousness, or permanent brain damage happen extremely rarely after DTaP vaccination.

As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.

Winning the lottery is extremely rare too. People play every day. People win every day. And with vaccination, patients lose every day. Some with the more minor side effects, others with serious effects like long term seizures, which are potentially deadly and certainly life altering for the entire family.

If I choose a religious exemption, I can promise you I have thought and prayed and studied as hard as a Rabbinical student studies the Torah, or a minister the Bible. As a Catholic, I follow the 10 Commandments.

No other gods before me.

Vaccination policy in the USA is now based on orthodoxy. It's all or nothing.  It is the one true way. There is less thinking and nuance than ever before. This is the hallmark of strict religion. Just listen. Follow the rules. No exceptions. Face punishment from a higher power.  We are told to put the gods of pharma and CDC before children's health.

Stay tuned.   Amen.