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New York Revokes Religious Exemptions for Vaccines Amid Measles Outbreak

Gov. Cuomo immediately signed the measure after it passed the Senate 36-26.

New York lawmakers have voted to end religious exemptions for vaccines amid a measles outbreak in Brooklyn and Rockland County. According to The New York Times, the measure passed the State Senate 36-26 on Thursday and was immediately signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who called the issue a “public health emergency.” During the vote, protesters reportedly shouted “shame,” among other things, in outrage at the move. Assemblyman Jeffrion L. Aubry reportedly tried to quiet the demonstrators during the vote but ended up calling a recess as they continued to scream. New York now joins a number of other states—including California, Arizona, and Mississippi—that do not allow vaccination exemptions on religious grounds.