Survey Finds Overwhelming Support For Parental Choice

BOSTON, Aug. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Parental Choice comments on a new survey from Emerson College which found overwhelming statewide support for parental choice on vaccinations. Specifically, the survey found that 67% of Massachusetts residents agree that parents should have the right to decide whether or not to vaccinate their children. The survey, which was conducted July 21-25, 2021, also demonstrates strong support for providing medical and religious vaccine exemptions.

The results show that while important efforts are underway to encourage vaccinations, Massachusetts residents strongly oppose new laws, regulations and mandates that would force universal compliance without regard for parental rights and special circumstances.

When it comes to protecting children in classrooms, Massachusetts residents overwhelmingly support providing full-time nurses in Massachusetts schools.

Key findings:

• 67% support for parental choice on vaccines.
• 72% support medical exemptions for vaccines.
• 56% support allowing people to refuse a vaccination based on religious beliefs.
• 64% oppose allowing schools to vaccinate children without parental consent (56% strongly).
• 58% oppose provisions of the Community Immunity Act currently before the state legislature.
• 60% oppose restricting a parent's access to vaccination records.
• 77% support for full-time school nurses to protect students.

Currently, there is legislation pending on Beacon Hill known as the Community Immunity Act (Senate Bill 1517 and House Bill 2271) which would allow children to be vaccinated without their parents' consent or knowledge, even if the child is young or intellectually disabled. Perhaps even more egregious is a provision in the legislation that would prevent parents from even knowing by requiring a court order to access medical records. The bill would also limit the criteria for medical exemptions to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list, thereby removing the ability of doctors to make these decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Another bill (House Bill 2411), would end access to school, daycare or college for the roughly 1% of children using a religious exemption. According to the Department of Public Health, the religious exemption is most often used to forgo one or two vaccines in children who are otherwise vaccinated.

Said Sharon Macrelli, a parent from Framingham, "The survey data confirmed what we expected all along. Medical decision-making for children is a fundamental parental right that needs to be preserved."

Added Chris Cavallerano, a parent from Wellesley, "If we want to protect public health, we should not be limiting the ability of doctors, parents, and patients to make informed decisions that are in their best interests and that of their children. A one-size-fits-all approach is simply bad medicine."

More information about the survey can be obtained via the Emerson College Polling website.

Contact: (617) 545-3289 or [email protected]          

SOURCE Coalition for Parental Choice