Democrats say measles can kill children. Republicans say that’s “one perspective.”
Congressional reaction to the CDC’s decision to remove six diseases from the recommended childhood vaccine schedule divided along partisan lines Wednesday, with Democrats arguing that the diseases in question are dangerous and Republicans countering that danger is “a matter of interpretation,” leaving the question of whether vaccine recommendations Congress must now address should prevent illness or respect autonomy unresolved.
“Measles killed 2.6 million people annually before the vaccine,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). “We eliminated it. Now we’re bringing it back on purpose.”
“That’s her opinion,” responded Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ). “My opinion is that parents should decide. Both are valid.”
The Vaccine Recommendations Congress Weighs
The CDC announced Tuesday it would remove hepatitis A and B, HPV, rotavirus, pneumococcal disease, and varicella from the standard schedule, diseases that together caused an estimated 35,000 American deaths annually before vaccines were introduced.
“Thirty-five thousand is a statistic,” one Republican aide explained. “Parental choice is a principle. You can’t compare them directly.”
Democrats have called for hearings. Republicans have called the hearings “unnecessary” because, as one member put it, “we already know both sides.”
“The so-called experts say vaccines prevent disease,” a Republican spokesperson said. “Other experts—ones who haven’t been captured by Big Pharma—have raised concerns. We think parents should evaluate the evidence themselves. That’s democracy.”
When asked to name the experts who say vaccines cause harm, the spokesperson said that was “beside the point.”
The Path Forward
Public health officials have warned that reduced vaccination rates could lead to outbreaks of diseases not seen in decades. Supporters of the change have warned that continued recommendations amount to government overreach.
“Both outcomes are concerning,” one centrist lawmaker said. “Disease outbreaks and government overreach are both bad. The question is which is worse. Reasonable people disagree.”
A chickenpox outbreak was reported in Ohio on Wednesday, the state’s first in four years. Democrats cited it as evidence of the policy’s danger. Republicans cited it as evidence that the disease exists and parents can now make informed choices about it.
“See?” one Republican aide said. “Now parents know chickenpox is real. That’s what we’ve been asking for.”
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