The Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services discussed the bill April 23. If signed into law, the bill would render physicians who refuse to treat unvaccinated patients ineligible for some state funding.
Physicians and vaccine advocates say the bill could pose a risk to patients who cannot receive vaccinations for medical reasons. They argue young children and patients with compromised immune systems would be at risk of serious complications if they contracted a disease from an unvaccinated person at a healthcare facility.
Proponents of the bill say it will ensure people who choose not to vaccinate still have access to healthcare services.
“These families are being pushed out of practices, and it’s really causing a lot of problems,” Jackie Schlegel, executive director of Texans for Vaccine Choice, told the Senate committee.
The committee has yet to vote on the bill.
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