Demand Veto of Discriminatory Colorado Bill Forcing Shots for Kids’ ABA Therapy

On May 13, the Colorado state legislature passed a bill, HB26-1425, that would prevent children with disabilities who are unvaccinated from accessing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. The bill is now sitting on Governor Jared Polis’s desk waiting for his signature to officially make it the law in Colorado. Everyone – not just those in Colorado – needs to contact the governor ASAP and urge him to veto this bill.

The majority of children this will affect have been diagnosed with autism or other developmental disabilities. ABA is an individualized, prescribed or recommended treatment that, depending on a child’s medical needs, has been shown to improve language and communication skills, social skills, and focus, as well as address challenging behaviors. Denying children access to medically necessary treatment that may well increase their potential in life is both cruel and short-sighted.

Many parents and a growing number of scientists believe that typically developing children who regress following vaccination are not victims of coincidence, but of one or more vaccines or vaccine components that can cause injury to the developing brain. To then deny these children, or any child, access to medical care that may help improve their health outcomes is nothing short of heartless and discriminatory.

The very existence of the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) is proof that not everyone can successfully tolerate vaccines, just as not everyone can tolerate penicillin. Even though a 2010 HHS/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care study found that less than 1% of vaccine injuries are reported to VAERS, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has nonetheless paid out over $5.6 billion since 1988 for injuries and deaths caused by vaccines.

If the state of Colorado allows this legislation to be enacted, it will literally be adding insult to injury for children already suffering with developmental disabilities.

Because states frequently pattern new legislation after what’s been passed in other states, it’s critical that everyone — not just Coloradans – email Governor Polis and follow up with a phone call to his office: (303) 866-2471.

Please take action NOW as this bill could have the governor’s signature on it at any moment!