Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Lamont overrules DPH commissioner on school immunizations

  • Health
  • by Mark Pazniokas
  • August 28, 2019
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

mark pazniokas :: ctmirror.org

Renée Coleman-Mitchell, the commissioner of public health department, said Tuesday she would not release the most recent school-by-school vaccination data. The governor overruled her the next day.

The office of Gov. Ned Lamont pledged Wednesday to release school-by-school immunization rates, contradicting the commissioner of public health barely an hour after she reiterated to two reporters the data would remain off limits to parents and policy makers.

“The governor believes strongly that this is important information for the public and policymakers to have at their disposal,” said Max Reiss, the governor’s director of communications.

Statewide data to be released Thursday will show an increasing number of parents refused to vaccinate their children last year, claiming a religious objection, said Commissioner Renée Coleman-Mitchell. While the overall state immunization rate fell, it still exceeds the 95-percent threshold necessary to provide “herd immunity” for children unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.

School-by-school numbers will be released as soon as they are verified, Reiss said.

In a telephone interview Wednesday night, Coleman-Mitchell downplayed the conflict with the governor’s office and DPH’s shifting position over what parents should know about immunization rates at their children’s schools. Instead, she said parents should heed the advice of DPH to immunize their children for their sake and their classmates.

“We know this is a sensitive issue,” she said.

The medical and scientific community overwhelming vouch for the safety and efficacy of the childhood vaccinations, and peer-reviewed studies consistently find no link to autism, a frequent concern raised by parents wary of vaccines. But parents refusing to immunize their children, while still a small minority, have steadily increased.

A Bristol couple sued the department, seeking an injunction that would stop the publication of school-by-school immunization rates for the 2018-2019 school year and force the removal of  the 2017-18 figures from a state website. Those numbers showed 102 schools with immunization rates of less than 95 percent. The case is pending.

Coleman-Mitchell has been a reluctant figure in the fight over whether the data should be public or if religious exemptions to immunizations pose a public health threat. She has declined to advise lawmakers on the issue.

“I can only talk about the public health aspect of immunizations and the importance in regards to herd immunity and in regards to immunization rates and educating people about it,” she said  Wednesday afternoon. “I am not able, nor should I weigh in on anything that’s public legislation that comes about as a result of any of the work we do. That’s not in the purview of my role.”

On Tuesday, Coleman-Mitchell had declared an end to the measles outbreak that prompted her in May to release school-by-school immunization rates for the first time, publishing data for the 2017-2018 school year. She said she no longer saw a reason to release updated figures  because the outbreak was over.

There have been three cases of the measles, a highly contagious airborne disease, since April.

On Wednesday afternoon, Coleman-Mitchell was firm in her decision to only release county or statewide numbers, insisting she was in accord with the governor’s office.

“There’s been much discussion with the governor’s office, with the Department of Public Health — of course myself as commissioner am quite involved in regards to what the next steps would be, so communication has absolutely occurred,” she said to reporters who approached her after a public meeting at the Legislative Office Building.

An aide repeatedly tried to cut the interview short.

In a telephone interview Wednesday night, after Reiss announced the school-by-school numbers would be made public as soon as they were verified, Coleman-Mitchell said the increase in religious exemptions provided a rationale for the release. Unexplained was why Coleman-Mitchell, who knew about the exemptions, originally opposed the publication of the individual school rates.

Reiss did not address the degree to which the governor’s office had been consulted before Coleman-Mitchell’s Tuesday announcement, nor would he comment on whether the governor concurred with Coleman-Mitichell’s approach to public health.

But Reiss made clear the governor and the commissioner disagree on making school-by-school data public.

“The Department of Public Health will be releasing vaccination data relating to herd immunity and religious exemptions this week,” Reiss said. “Further, when the school-by-school immunization data has been verified for accuracy, it will be released.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Pazniokas is the Capitol Bureau Chief and a co-founder of CT Mirror. He is a frequent contributor to WNPR, a former state politics writer for The Hartford Courant and Journal Inquirer, and contributor for The New York Times.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
With billions in federal relief on the way to CT, legislators assert their role in deciding how to spend it
by Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas

With an unusual bill, state legislators are reminding Gov. Ned Lamont they have significant role in disbursing federal coronavirus relief.

How does the public option bill differ from Gov. Ned Lamont’s health care plan? Here’s a look at the two proposals.
by Jenna Carlesso

With the rising cost of care a central issue this legislative session, lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration have each moved ahead with their own plans aimed at driving down prices.

Medical providers are taking nature therapy seriously
by Jenifer Frank | C-HIT.ORG

In a time of social isolation and staying home, sometimes a walk in the park is the best medicine.

Have a case of a COVID variant? No one is going to tell you
by Christina Jewett and JoNel Aleccia | Kaiser Health News and Rachana Pradhan

Federal rules around who can be told about the variant cases are confusing, and tests have not been approved.

CT teachers are expected to get vaccinated for COVID at local clinics, but other options could cause problems
by Dave Altimari

School employees could end up on two lists, which means some vaccine might go to waste, officials said.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The Board of Regents’ changes must not shortchange its students or faculty
by Carrie Andreoletti, PhD

As a university professor and a lifespan developmental psychologist, I tend to approach my work from a developmental perspective. This means I aim to foster a lifelong love of learning and to help others find a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as confidence in their ability to reach their goals. My approach to higher education is shaped by my desire to provide the best possible education for my students. This is why the recent Board of Regents’ proposed changes at the four state universities have me worried.

Opinion How to close schooling opportunity gaps created by the pandemic
by Carol Gale

We ask school district leaders to trust your public servants whose daily work life involves assessing student needs and planning or modifying instruction to meet those needs. Listen to their voices, as we have, and allocate precious resources on interventions that will offer increased opportunities for Hartford students to succeed.

Opinion A new guide for schools: How to work with families this spring
by Michael Arrington and Erika Haynes

With months of remote and hybrid learning to go, families and educators continue to adapt and innovate to meet the moment. Since August, we’ve spoken with hundreds of parents, caregivers, family support groups, educators, and students across Connecticut and the country about things things that have worked --strategies, big and small, that have made this time more manageable and helped children learn and stay connected with peers.

Opinion Housing is a human right
by Tenaya Taylor

Nonprofit Accountability Group is a queer- and trans-led group based in Hartford that is dedicated to creating racial equity by directing resources to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and disabled children and families. NAG was founded in 2020 as an organization with a transformative approach to implementing nonprofit accountability by creating relationships within the community, nonprofits, and their funders.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO