Washington lawmakers move to remove vaccine exemptions amid growing measles outbreak

In an ongoing measles outbreak in Clark County, Washington, health officials have now confirmed 65 cases, leading state lawmakers to advance a bill on removing vaccine exemptions, according to STAT's Morning Rounds newsletter.

There have also been five confirmed cases in other parts of Washington linked to the Clark County outbreak, which started earlier this year. Most of those cases were in kids who were not vaccinated.

Late last week, the state Senate's health committee voted 7-4 to advance a measure that would remove the option for parents to claim personal or philosophical exemptions from a child's school vaccinations.

A House committee has already approved a measure that would only ban philosophical exemptions from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

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