Proposed bills will allow religious exemption to vaccination, require vaccine info disclosures

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- A number of bills related to vaccinations have been introduced at the Arizona State Capitol.

State Sen. Paul Boyer (R) and State Rep. Nancy Barto (R) have sponsored bills that will allow for religious exemptions for vaccinations, as well as requiring disclosure of vaccine information.

Under House Bill 2470 (also known as Senate Bill 1114), a student at any grade level through the 12th grade will be eligible for a religious exemption if he or she submits a signed statement to school administration, saying that the parent or guardian has received information about immunizations provided by the Department of Health Services, and understands the risks and benefits of immunization, as well as the potential risks of non-immunization.

Currently, state law allows for exemptions based on personal beliefs.

Another bill, House Bill 2471 (also known as Senate Bill 1115), health professionals who administers vaccine must provide information to the patient or the a minor patient's parent or legal guardian about the benefits and risks of each vaccine, the vaccine's product insert, the CDC's vaccine excipient and media summary, and ways to report a vaccine-adverse event.

According to Oxford Dictionaries, an excipient is "an inactive substance that serves as the vehicle or medium for a drug or other active substance". According to the American Pharmaceutical Review, an exicipient generally has no medicinal properties, but are crucial to drug delivery within the body.

State Sen. Boyer represents District 20, which covers portions of North Phoenix, while State Rep. Barto represents District 15, which also covers a portion of North Phoenix.