Sarah Davie

I oppose HB 1022 because it would dangerously weaken New Hampshire’s public health protections by broadly expanding religious exemptions to vaccines. Vaccination requirements only work when nearly everyone participates; wide, loosely defined exemptions make it easier for preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough to return and spread in our schools and communities. This bill would increase risks not just for unvaccinated children, but also for infants, cancer patients, and others who cannot be vaccinated and rely on community immunity for protection. Our laws should respect individual beliefs while still safeguarding public health, and HB 1022 pushes that balance too far away from evidence-based protections that keep all children safe.