By Associated Press - Wednesday, December 27, 2017

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Minnesota state lawmaker wants parents who are opposed to vaccinating their children to see a physician before opting out of the state’s immunization schedule.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Rep. Mike Freiberg says legislation he’s sponsoring preserves parental choice. But argues a measles outbreak in the summer showed that parents need to “have the knowledge and information that will help them make a good choice.”

The Minnesota Department of Health says 79 people were affected by the outbreak in the state.



KSTP-TV reports that Freiberg has introduced his proposal before but has not gotten enough support to pass it.

Minnesota law requires that a child be vaccinated before enrolling in child care, early education or school. But it also allows exemptions for medical reasons or “conscientiously held beliefs.”

___

Information from: KSTP-TV, http://www.kstp.com

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.