Green and others say they have growing concerns about safety of the hepatitis B vaccine, rumored to cause a range of maladies. The CDC says serious adverse effects reported after receiving the vaccine are uncommon and could be coincidental. Many parents say the vaccine is unnecessary for children because hepatitis B primarily is an adult disease, usually spread through sex, drug abuse or an occupation with exposure to blood. Children under age 14 are three times more likely to suffer adverse effects, including death, following the hepatitis B vaccine than to catch the disease itself, according to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. In November, that organization passed a resolution calling for an end to mandatory childhood vaccines, saying school districts should consider parental rights or a child's medical condition.
Many parents say they want their children to catch chicken pox and then develop a lifelong immunity.
They say the vaccine wears off and allows adult infection, when health risks are more serious. Richardson, who supports Green's bill, said most of her organization's 2,500 members believe in immunizing against only serious childhood illnesses. Others refuse to vaccinate because their family history indicates a serious problem with a particular shot, Richardson said. The exemption for reasons of conscience is needed because doctors seldom approve a medical exemption, even if a child's older sibling has been harmed by a shot, Richardson said.