LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska students will not be required get vaccinations against meningitis, despite senators who argue the disease is a public health concern.
Lawmakers rejected a bill Wednesday that would have required two rounds of meningitis vaccinations for students between seventh grade and age 16. The vote was 29-14, four votes short of the 33 required to break a filibuster and carry it to the next round.
The bill's sponsor, Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, designated the measure his priority this session after it failed to gain approval last year. Krist says bacterial meningitis can result in loss of limbs and organ failure.
But opponents say vaccinations should be decided by parents and there have been too few cases of meningitis in Nebraska to mandate a statewide vaccination.
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The bill is LB18.
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