vaccinations

Maine's first presidential primary election in two decades is in the books, and while the final vote tally isn't done, there is a lot to digest from the results that we do have.

Next week, Mainers vote on a People's Veto referendum that will affect vaccination requirements. Question 1 seeks to overturn a new state law that prevents parents from refusing to have their children vaccinated, except for medical reasons. The Yes on 1 campaign says the new law is unnecessary and infringes on personal freedom.  The No side says the law is needed to preserve public health.

A people’s veto referendum that will determine the fate of a new Maine vaccination law is generating less campaign cash and fanfare than other recent ballot initiatives, but the sources behind the money and the messaging highlight a deep rift between the state’s leading health organizations and individuals who distrust vaccines.

In less than two weeks, Mainers will cast their votes on a referendum that seeks to repeal a new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions for vaccines.

The 2020 elections won't just be about the race for the White House, Congress or the Maine Legislature. The elections will also be about vaccinations for school children and, potentially, whether Central Maine Power should be able to build a $1 billion power line that helps Massachusetts meet its renewable energy goals. 

The activist group Mainers for Health and Parental Rights has submitted some 78,000 signatures certified by local registrars to suspend the state’s new vaccine law until the voters have their say on the issue next spring. Supporters of the law are vowing a fight to keep it.

A bill establishing one of the more aggressive vaccination laws in the country is now one step closer to reaching Democratic Gov. Janet Mills after a vote in the Maine Senate on Tuesday.

A bill that would eliminate most non-medical exemptions to the state’s vaccination requirements for Maine school children hit a snag Thursday.

The Maine Senate narrowly voted to retain exemptions for religious reasons. The House has rejected restoring religious exemptions, so the measure will have to undergo additional votes before it goes to the desk of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.

The Legislature's Education Committee has endorsed a bill that would eliminate all non-medical exemptions for vaccinations required to attend Maine schools. The Committee voted 8-5 along party lines to approve the bill, which has emerged as a political flashpoint during an otherwise low-key legislative session.

Vaccination rates in Maine continue to drop, according to an annual school immunization report released Friday by the state's Center for Disease Control (CDC).