Maine Senate Votes to Remove Religious Exemption For Vaccines

Maine's Senate on Tuesday voted to end a religious exemption to vaccines for students, becoming the latest state in the country to address growing concerns over low vaccination rates. 

The state Senate voted 18-17 to end the exemption, with all Republicans voting against the change, according to the Portland Press Herald. One Democrat reversed course after initially opposing the rule change last week, changing the end vote.

"We are pushing religious people out of our great state," said state Sen. Lisa Kiem (R) ahead the vote, according to the newspaper. "And we will also be closing the door on religious people who may consider making Maine their home. We are fooling ourselves if we don't believe an exodus would come about."

[...] According to the Press Herald, Maine's kindergarten vaccination opt-out rate was 5.6 percent for the 2018-2019 school year, more than three times the national average of 1.8 percent.

The state also has the country's highest rate of whooping cough, which is vaccine preventable, the paper reported.