Saud Anwar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

March 18, 2026
 

Today, the Public Health Committee advanced legislation seeking to maintain and reconfirm Connecticut’s current standards for vaccination, which have contributed to its nation-leading vaccination rates at a time when vaccination-preventable diseases are spreading in the United States.

Senate Bill 450, “An Act Concerning The Standard Of Care For Immunization,” would see the state’s Commissioner of Public Health utilize approved vaccination schedules published by national bodies including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians in developing the state’s standard of care for immunization. In doing so, the state would seek to reconfirm access to vaccines in the state for those seeking them.

“Connecticut has the highest vaccination rate for kindergarteners in the country. As a result, where states around the country are seeing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease, vaccination rates are dropping and one person is upending decades of commonly accepted science at federal levels and impacting the well-being of the entire nation, Connecticut needs to continue protecting its residents,” said State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “The CDC’s rapidly changing recommendations could disconnect people from access to vaccination and even remove vaccines from public access. We’ve passed this legislation to make sure our state utilizes information from medical organizations and retains vaccination access for all, especially concerning insurance coverage. There’s no mandate in this bill – we’re trying to make sure we retain protections for the public.”

In public testimony regarding the bill, a number of physicians testified in support, seeking to maintain the status quo where children are protected from preventable illnesses. While the United States saw more than 1,000 cases of measles in 2025 and more than 2,000 already in just the winter of 2026, including outbreaks in states like Texas, Utah and South Carolina that each spawned hundreds of cases, Connecticut has seen just one case of measles since 2021. The state’s current vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella is 98.2%.

Dr. Laura Haynes, an immunology professor at the UConn School of Medicine, testified that high levels of vaccination correlate to better community protection against illness.

Dr. Emily Hodeland, a pediatrician working in Hartford, and Miriam Cohen, president-elect of the Connecticut American Academy of Pediatrics, both testified about their experiences caring for children who contracted vaccine-preventable diseases.

Hogeland said she worked in a state with vaccine exemptions and cared for a young girl who was not vaccinated against tetanus, watching her condition deteriorate until she needed a ventilator to breathe; Cohen said her medical career started before widespread availability of pediatric vaccines and saw children who contracted illnesses die or experience long-term health consequences from them. Those deaths and disabilities stopped after vaccinations became widely available.

Ellen Andrews, executive director of the Connecticut Health Policy Project, testified that the federal government firing experienced members of federal advisory committees with individuals who, for instance, publicly stated the polio vaccine is no longer necessary. Under that context, she said, Connecticut should take steps to preserve public health.

With its passage through the Public Health Committee today, the bill heads next to the Senate floor for further consideration.