DENVER – A bill requiring parents who have chosen not to fully vaccinate their children to opt-out directly with the state instead of their local child-care provider or school died on Monday, but that’s not the end of the story for Republicans or parents who feel the Colorado health department has overstepped it’s bounds.

Parents from across the state have received notices from their schools or child-care providers notifying them that they should go online to file opt-out paperwork to allow their student to enter school without the required vaccinations.

“This is overreaching of the government without having any kind of statutory authority given to them by the general assembly,” said Rep. Janak Joshi, R-Colorado Springs.

Mark Salley, spokesman for Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said an inaccurate letter was sent to child care facilities regarding upcoming changes in vaccination waivers.

“We regret the letter went out and have taken corrective action with our employee regarding the letter,” Salley said. “CDPHE has created a guidance document up on our website, which helps clarify the options available to parents seeking exemptions.”

The new document makes it clear that parents can either submit a form online to CDPHE directly or by printing out the form and giving it to a school or child-care center directly.

It may seem like a fine distinction, but for some parents it’s a big deal.

Missy Frazier uses a medical exemption for her child, who attends a Jefferson County school.

“My biggest issue is that you are trying to take my child’s information – that you have zero legislative authority to do – to track and to possibly come back to me,” Frazier said. “Where does this end, and with whom are you going to share this information?”

Frazier said she fears exemption forms protected by student privacy laws would not be covered under if it goes to the state first. CDPHE requests vaccination exemption information from schools and child care providers, but those entities are not obligated to respond.

“The school districts right now can voluntarily provide this information to CDPHE, the issue is they are not,” said Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver.

Pabon was the sponsor of a bill creating a statewide database for vaccination information by requiring parents to file exemptions directly with CDPHE. He postponed the bill indefinitely Monday, effectively killing the issue this session.

“The public health of Colorado was not enough to convince opponents of the bill,” Pabon said. “The politics around the ‘I’ word, or immunizations, just got to be too intense.”

He said Colorado is one of three states without a centralized database tracking vaccinations for children.

Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, opposed the bill and also is upset with CDPHE.

“I find it curious that the House has already killed 1164, where as the health department has already implemented the provisions of 1164 in law on their website stating that by July 1, parents will be required to register online,” Lundberg said. “This online registration system is in complete violation of current statute. They don’t have the authority to require an online registration.”

As of Monday afternoon the website says parents may submit the forms online or print them out and turn them into their school directly.

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Contact Megan Schrader: 286-0644

Twitter @CapitolSchrader

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