CHANGE OF HEART

Christie: Vaccines Shouldn’t Be Opt Out

Used to say parents had a choice.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says parents “can’t count on” him to support opting out of vaccines for their children. Christie told New Hampshire residents during a town-hall meeting that “vaccines have done an enormous good in this country to eradicate” illnesses and “public health has to be paramount.” His comments marked a slight shift in tone from earlier this year, when he said, “All I can say is that we vaccinate [our children], and so that’s the best expression I can give you as my opinion. That’s what we do, but I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well. So that’s the balance that the government has to decide.”