I strongly urge you to vote “no” on Maine’s Question 1 on March 3 to protect our new vaccine law. The new law should remain in place to combat alarming declines in vaccination rates. To avoid outbreaks of disease, we need to reverse the trend and achieve high levels of herd immunity to protect vulnerable populations who could be easily killed by a disease that a healthy person would likely survive.

Who are these “vulnerable populations”? They are people like my uncle, a Vietnam War veteran. He has a type of cancer – lymphoma – linked to Agent Orange exposure during his service. The treatment for his cancer has severely weakened his immune system, so he depends on herd immunity. He put it all on the line in service to this country – are you really comfortable voting “yes” to put him at risk again?

“Vulnerable populations” also include new babies, like the one our family is expecting in July. There are countless other examples of people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. And, to be clear, the new law actually makes it easier to get legitimate medical exemptions.

It is often said that the true measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. Make no mistake – voting “yes” on Question 1 puts vulnerable people at risk. Our laws governing vaccination should be based on rational, scientific evidence, not conspiracy theory. Please vote “no” on Question 1.

Damon Yakovleff

Portland

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