La. bill could prohibit discrimination against students on basis of vaccination status

BATON ROUGE, La. (KALB) - A measure in final passage in the State Senate would prohibit discrimination against students on the basis of vaccination status. State law mandates schools in Louisiana to take certain vaccines for their immunization records, following a schedule approved by the State Department of Health. House Bill 908 aims to preserve current law and prevent teachers or school employees from distinguishing students based on vaccination status. According to the bill’s author, State Rep. Beryl A. Amedée (R- District 51), the measure aims to prevent students from being treated differently based on their immunization status while at school or participating in extracurricular activities. “The only thing that a school is supposed to do with the information concerning a student’s vaccine status is put it in a file and save it until there’s an outbreak,” she said. Opponents argue the bill prohibits any type of seating arrangement to protect immunized students, which draws concerns over putting them at risk. “You could have a student in a classroom that has leukemia and is receiving treatment for leukemia, and they are forced to sit next to a student that is unvaccinated, thus putting them at risk,” said State Rep. Jason Hughes (D - District 100). Colleges and universities in the state, such as Northwestern State University, Louisiana Christian and LSUA, require students to submit proof of immunization before fully enrolling in classes.