In New Hampshire, we must make sure that childhood immunizations are widely available, easy to access, and affordable to everyone.

Nationwide, we are seeing the spread of highly contagious diseases like measles, while the United States Department of Health and Human Services is being run by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Here in New Hampshire, Republican legislators are pushing for anti-vaxxer legislation in our state.  

Please take action by Wednesday!

Oppose 2 anti-vaxxer bills that impact vaccine access. 

• HB358 which has a public hearing on Wednesday, would remove the requirement that parents must complete a form to opt their children out of vaccinations due to religious exemption.
• HB524 would end our state's current system for providing access to vaccines for children. It is being voted on by the full House on Thursday. 

OPPOSE HB358, relative to exemption from immunization requirements on the basis of religious belief.

TAKE ACTION BY WEDNESDAY

1. Sign into the House Remote Testimony tool to voice your opposition.
2. Enter your personal information.
3. Select: 
   • Wednesday, March 5th on the calendar
   • House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
   • 11:30 am - HB358
   • I am a member of the public.
   • I am representing myself.

1. Click: "I oppose this bill", then hit the submit button at the bottom of the form. Adding remote testimony is suggested. It will help make your case. 

NOTE: When using talking points in adding written testimony, please take an extra minute or two to put your testimony into your own words rather than copying and pasting. There are many legislators that will discount written testimony if they see it is exactly the same as that received by others. Thank you! 

Talking Points for HB358:

• This bill provides that a parent or legal guardian may claim an exemption from childhood immunization requirements on the basis of religious belief by providing a signed statement to that effect.
• The bill removes the statutory reference to a form used for such purpose.
• When we can prevent a disease through immunization, it helps children in New Hampshire stay on track with their learning and development.
• All Granite Staters benefit from widespread community immunity to diseases like measles, tetanus, smallpox, and rubella thanks to vaccines.

OPPOSE HB524-FN,  repealing the New Hampshire vaccine association.

TAKE ACTION BY WEDNESDAY

Please contact your State Representatives and ask them to OPPOSE HB524. You may look up contact information for your Reps here.

• Tell your State Representatives that you are a constituent and you consider voting records at election time. 
• Your email subject line should include reference to being a constituent. Example: Constituent Request: Vote to Oppose HB524. 
• Short emails are more effective. State your request and just a few talking points, put into your own words, or a personal story. 

More info on  HB524:

From Rep. Jessica LaMontagne for the Minority of Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs: The bill proposes to repeal the New Hampshire Vaccine Association (NHVA), a non-profit organization established in 2002 to save money and ensure every child in NH has access to vaccines. The NHVA is a public-private partnership that combines money from more than 80 commercial insurers with federal Vaccines for Children funds to seamlessly purchase and distribute vaccines to more than 220 pediatric and family practices. Not a single insurer or provider supports the repeal of the NHVA. Many came to oppose this bill. The system works and does not need fixing. The NHVA decreases administrative burdens on providers so they don’t have to negotiate with insurers and suppliers. It assures people without insurance have access to vaccines. It is not a tax as some have suggested but a purchasing club with 30% cost savings for everyone. Funds pass through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) but do not cost the state any money. On the contrary, should the NHVA be dissolved, DHHS will have to assume the cost of vaccine management and inventory to be prepared for outbreaks because the NHVA currently does this in lieu of the state. Dissolving the NHVA will result in fewer children being vaccinated. This will result in outbreaks of preventable disease as we have seen happening in the US where vaccination rates have declined. Disease outbreaks occur when health delivery systems are disrupted, as this repeal would do.

Additional talking points:

• In New Hampshire, immunizations are free to all families that want them through an innovative program: the New Hampshire Vaccine Association (NHVA). The NHVA does not set vaccine policy or create vaccine laws. 
• HB524 would end our state's current system for providing access to vaccines for children. Currently, insurance companies pay money into a central fund (run by the NH Vaccine Association) that buys vaccines for all children in the state.
• If this bill passes, doctors' offices would need to buy immunizations upfront and then bill insurance companies directly for children with private insurance.
• Families would likely be required to pay co-pays. 
• When children receive recommended immunizations on time, our whole state benefits. High childhood vaccination rates help to create community immunity, which offers widespread protection against contagious diseases.

Thank you to New Futures for talking points.