Speaking out at a small school district board meeting last night in Marin County, six-year-old Rhett Krawitt spoke out in favor of a statewide bill that would remove the "personal belief" exemption from the state's childhood vaccination law. Reading from a prepared speech, little Rhett, who had leukemia and is now one full year past his last chemo session, said, "My name is Rhett and I... give... a... damn!" (He was referencing his Gone With the Wind namesake, Rhett Butler, naturally.)
As ABC 7 reports, Rhett's parents strongly support the bill heading before the California legislature, which would make the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccinations mandatory for all schoolchildren, with the only exemption being for kids who are too ill (as Rhett was in previous years) to get the vaccine. Per the Chronicle, Carl Krawitt, Rhett's father, said to the board, "Our culture emphasizes the individual story more than the need for people to see how their choices can infringe on the health of others. We have an obligation to send a message. The risk of getting any of these diseases go far beyond our school."
This all happened at the Reed Union School District in Tiburon, and serves as a counterpoint to Jon Stewart and others hating on Marin for leading the nation in the anti-vaxxer movement. The district voted 4 to 1 to support the legislation last night.
The vaccination requirement legislation is sponsored by State Sentator Richard Pan, D-Sacramento.
At the moment, Marin County leads the state in invocation of the personal belief exemption, and only 84 percent of students entering kindergarten in the county are fully vaccinated.
