'Only medical exemptions': Buttigieg campaign clarifies vaccine position after uproar
Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's campaign tried to clarify his position on vaccines Wednesday, walking back earlier comments that indicated he supported exemptions based on personal or religious beliefs.
In a "clarifying statement" to BuzzFeed News early Wednesday, a Buttigieg spokesperson said the South Bend, Indiana, mayor thinks "only medical exemptions should be allowed."
BuzzFeed had contacted the campaign for an article summing up the 2020 candidates' positions on vaccinations amid a rise in measles cases, which some attribute to an increase in the number of parents choosing not to have their children vaccinated. BuzzFeed asked the candidates three questions: Their thoughts on vaccines, whether they thought they were linked to autism and whether they supported an end to personal and religious exemptions.
"The law of the land for more than a century has been that states may enforce mandatory vaccination for public safety to prevent the spread of a dangerous disease. Pete does support some exceptions, except during a public health emergency to prevent an outbreak," Buttigieg's spokesperson initially told BuzzFeed News in a statement.
"These exemptions include medical exemptions in all cases (as in cases where it is unsafe for the individual to get vaccinated), and personal/religious exemptions if states can maintain local herd immunity and there is no public health crisis," the statement read.
The statement clarifying the mayor's position was sent to BuzzFeed after the article containing the initial statement was published and some on social media had expressed alarm at his apparent endorsement of "personal/religious exemptions."
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Someone should really tell Pete Buttigieg that vaccines aren’t implemented *after* a “public health crisis.”
They’re kind of a thing because they’re supposed to stop them... https://t.co/TWxJJqYhgU— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 1, 2019
Has @PeteButtigieg consulted an actual doctor on this policy position. This is nonsense and smacks of pandering to the anti-vaccine crowd https://t.co/mNvbyZXeQB
— Kay Vandenberg (@kay_vandenberg) May 1, 2019
.@PeteButtigieg is taking money from @GwynethPaltrow, a modern-day female snake-oil saleswoman who literally endangers lives and promotes dangerous anti-vaxx theories. Now, amidst an OUTBREAK Buttigieg suggests he supports exemptions for vaccines. I. Can't.
— Jodi Jacobson (@jljacobson) May 1, 2019
On Wednesday, Buttigieg's spokesperson made clear to BuzzFeed News that "Pete believes vaccines are safe and effective and are necessary to maintaining public health."
"There is no evidence that vaccines are unsafe, and he believes children should be immunized to protect their health," the clarifying statement said. "He is aware that in most states the law provides for some kinds of exemptions. He believes only medical exemptions should be allowed."
Only nine of the more than 20 presidential candidates responded to BuzzFeed's questions on vaccines. In addition to Buttigieg (after his clarifying statement), six other Democratic candidates explicitly indicated support for removing religious and personal exemptions: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, California Rep. Eric Swalwell and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Only medical exemptions': Buttigieg campaign clarifies vaccine position after uproar
