INDIAN AFFAIRS TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER.

>>> AT THE CAPITOL THIS WEEK, THE REPUBLICAN LED RULES COMMITTEE HEARD TESTIMONY ABOUT UPDATED IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN WHO ATTEND SCHOOL AND DAYCARE.

AMONG THE UPDATES, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES CHANGED OR ADDED RULES FOR VACCINES THAT PREVENT MENINGITIS AND CHICKENPOX.

OFFICIALS TESTIFYING WERE MET WITH HOSTILITY FROM SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTING TO REHASH MANDATES MADE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

>> SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT PAST HISTORY, AND A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE JUST FLAT OUT WRONG AND KIDS HAVE BEEN HARMED BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL SHUT-DOWNS, HOW DO WE TRUST YOU, AND HONEST TO GOD, THAT MADE ME SO ANGRY BACK THEN, AND EVEN NOW, I'LL BE HONEST, WHEN I SEE YOU, I REFER TO YOU AS WISCONSIN'S DR. FAUCI.

>> TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THESE VACCINE CHANGES, WE TURN TO DR. DeMURI AT UW HEALTH, A PEDIATRICIAN.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US, DOCTOR.

>> MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

>> STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CANNOT REQUIRE A MENINGITIS VACCINE IN THE UP SEVENTH GRADE AND A BOOSTER IN THE 12th GRADE.

WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT AS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR?

>> WELL, IT'S QUITE CONCERNING.

WE KNOW THESE ARE SAFE VACCINES.

THESE TWO ILLNESSES CAN BE DEVASTATING.

MENINGITIS, OR MORE APPROPRIATELY, MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE, CAN RESULT IN DEATH, CAN RESULT IN AMPUTATION OF THE LIMBS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE HAVE SEEN THAT AS PART OF OUR CAREER.

KNOWING THERE'S A WAY TO PREVENT THIS AND MAKE OUR SCHOOLS SAFE AND KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE IN THIS, IT'S REALLY DISHEARTENING TO HEAR THIS.

>> HOW CONTAGIOUS, ALSO, IS MENINGITIS?

>> IT'S QUITE CONTAGIOUS.

I BELIEVE THERE'S AN OUTBREAK RIGHT NOW IN VIRGINIA.

WE'VE HAD OUTBREAKS IN WISCONSIN.

IT CAN GO THROUGH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES, BARRACKS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE VERY TIELY CONTAGIOUS, HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

>> DO MOST FAMILIES GO AHEAD AND GET IT REGARDLESS OF KIND OF WHAT THE RULES ARE?

ARE PEDIATRICIANS RECOMMENDING IT?

>> IT'S BEEN STRONGLY RECOMMEND FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW AND MOST FAMILIES, FORTUNATELY, DO GO AHEAD AND GET IT, ALTHOUGH THERE'S NOT QUITE AS MUCH AWARENESS OF THIS VACCINE AND SOME OF THE OR VACCINES.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS INCREASE AND IMPROVE OUR IMMUNIZATION RATES IN COMMUNITIES.

THOSE STATES THAT HAVE THE MOST ROBUST SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS HAVE THE HIGHEST IMMUNIZATION RATES.

AND HERE, EVEN IN WISCONSIN, WE'VE SEEN WHEN WE IMPLEMENT THIS RULE FOR SCHOOLS, OUR IMMUNIZATION RATES GO UP AND THE DISEASE RATES GO DOWN.

>> SO THE LEGISLATURE ALSO REMOVED A NEW REQUIREMENT THAT HEALTHCARE PROVIDER CONFIRMED THAT A CHILD HAD CHICKENPOX TO NOT HAVE TO HAVE THE VACCINATION AND IT REVERTS BACK TO KIND OF THE CURRENT RULE WHERE A PARENT CAN COME IN AND SAY, OH, YES, MY CHILD HAD CHICKENPOX AND SO I'D LIKE THE TO BE EXEMPT FROM HAVING TO PROVE THAT VACCINATION.

IS THAT ENOUGH IN YOUR MIND TO HAVE PARENTS BE ABLE TO ATTEST TO THAT?

>> IT'S NOT.

I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD RULE CHANGE.

IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IT'S BECOME VERY DIFFICULT FOR PARENTS TO DIAGNOSE CHICKENPOX.

EVEN YOUNG PHYSICIANS SOMETIMES HAVE TROUBLE DOING IT.

OF THOSE THAT WERE AROUND BEFORE 1990, THE EARLY '90s WHEN THIS VACCINE CAME OUT, HAD CERTAINLY SEEN PLENTY OF CHICKENPOX, BUT SINCE THAT TIME, MANY PARENTS AND EVEN YOUNG PHYSICIANS HAVEN'T SEEN IT AND WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE CONFIRMING TESTING TO DO IT.

>> DECLINING RATE OF CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS IN CHILDREN, DROPPING FROM 92% IN 2020 TO JUST UNDER 89% IN THE LAST YEAR.

HOW CONCERNING IS THIS FOR PEDIATRICIANS?

>> WE'RE VERY CONCERNED.

AGAIN, THIS IS A DISTURBING PHENOMENON.

IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I THINK PARALLELED COVID AND MISINFORMATION THAT WAS OUT ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINATION AND ALSO ABOUT COVID DISEASE ITSELF.

SO SOME OF THE ANTI-SCIENCE, MISINFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE HAS NOW CARRIED OVER TO OTHER VACCINES AND THAT'S QUITE CONCERNING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW OUTBREAKS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES THAT HAVE BEEN QUIETED FOR YEARS.

>> DO YOU SEE PATIENTS AND FAMILIES THAT KIND OF HOLD ONTO THAT MISINFORMATION AND DECLARE THAT, NO, THEY DON'T WANT VACCINES?

>> WE DO.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO.

THIS ATTITUDE IS CERTAINLY BECOME MORE PREVALENT SINCE COVID, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE TRY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT, PROVIDE THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC AND BEST SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION WE HAVE, AND OUR EXPERIENCE.

MANY OF US, PEDIATRICIANS, FAMILY DOCTORS IN THE COMMUNITY, HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE ILLNESSES AND CAN PROVIDE THAT EXPERIENCE TO THEIR FAMILIES.

>> STILL OUT THERE ALSO IS THE MISINFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES CAUSING AUTISM.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE ON THAT?

>> YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN DEBUNKED NOW OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

INITIAL CONCERN WAS FOR MEASLES VACCINE AND SOME OTHER VACCINES AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST ISN'T SPECIFICALLY ESTABLISHED OR PROVEN.

IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE HAS BEEN SHOWN, THAT THERE'S NO LINK BETWEEN VACCINES AND AUTISM.

PARENTS CAN BE VERY ASSURED OF THAT AND VERY CONFIDENT IN THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINES.

>> IN A BROADER SENSE, IN YOUR MIND, SHOULD LAWMAKERS BE MAKING DECISIONS ON CHILDHOOD VACCINES OR SHOULD IT BE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS?

>> IT SHOULD BE PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN CONSULTATION WITH PHYSICIANS AND SCIENTISTS USING THE BEST SCIENCE WE HAVE, THE BEST EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION WE HAVE.

HERE IN WISCONSIN, OUR STATE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE THAT, TAKEN INPUT OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEADERS IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.

>> WE LEAVE IT THERE, DR. GREG