Contact: Aaron Collins, 608-266-2254
MADISON – This week, Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) introduced a legislative package aimed at increasing access to vaccines in Wisconsin. The three bills give Wisconsin citizens and health care providers more avenues to receive and administer immunizations. Representative Hintz released the following statement on these important public health initiatives:
“If we increase access to vaccines we will increase immunization rates in Wisconsin, and that is a win for the health and well-being of our state. These bills are the result of extensive conversations with experts in the field of public health. They all agreed that, in addition to removing the personal conviction waiver, the best thing we can do as a state is to create more access points for vaccines,” Rep. Hintz stated. “We need to do all we can to increase vaccination rates in order to avoid a completely unnecessary outbreak in Wisconsin.”
LRB 4137/1 would make Wisconsin a universal vaccine purchasing state. Currently, 15 states have some form of universal purchasing program.
LRB 4136/1 allows dentists to administer vaccines, as long as they satisfy certain criteria. The bill would add dentists to the list of individuals allowed to administer vaccines, making them abide by the same training requirements and other criteria as pharmacists.
LRB 4135/1 allows a minor aged 16 years or older to make their own vaccination choices. There is evidence that, when given complete information and control over their preventative medical care, teenagers will decide to receive some or all vaccinations that had previously been withheld by their parents.