Wisconsin legislators fumble on vital vaccine

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

Meningococcal disease, a serious bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis, is rare but fearsome. The illness can make someone severely ill with terrifying speed, which is especially alarming given that children and teens are at increased risk.

Nearly 90% of young patients who die from it succumb within 24 hours of diagnosis. That can leave too little time for modern medicine's arsenal to work. "Even with antibiotic treatment, 10 to 15 in 100 people with meningococcal disease will die," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Those who do survive can be left with life-altering complications. Up to 1 in 5 can have limb loss, deafness, seizures or brain damage.

The good news is that there's a vaccine to prevent the heartbreak this pathogen can cause. And while many states, Minnesota included, have conscientious policies to boost meningococcal vaccination rates, Wisconsin is a laggard — a regrettable reality that its Republican legislative majority recently and recklessly declined to remedy.

Across the nation, state policymakers generally decide which immunizations to require for school-aged children, hewing to health experts' guidance. These have long included shots for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella.

Medical advances have made new vaccines available. Meningococcal disease, which can lead to infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream, is among them. The CDC first recommended the meningococcal vaccine in 2005. The public health agency calls for a single dose for all 11- to 12-year-olds and a booster dose at age 16.

Responsible state legislators have added new vaccines as they become available to the required immunizations for school-aged children. Minnesota is one of 34 states that sensibly includes the meningococcal vaccine on this list, according to the St. Paul-based Immunization Action Coalition.

Wisconsin does not, making it a shameful outlier among Minnesota's bordering states.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers laudably tried to fix this with a plan to require the meningococcal vaccine for students. But, "The state Senate and Assembly, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against, voted to block the proposal" last month, the Associated Press reported. The vote came after a hearing in which some parents complained that the requirement would violate their liberties.

Wisconsin allows families to seek exemptions to the vaccine requirements for "medical/health, religious, or personal conviction" reasons. Minnesota and other states have similar waivers. This opt-out would have applied as well to the meningococcal vaccine requirement if it had been enacted in Wisconsin, allowing the small percentage of parents who don't want to protect their children to shoulder that risk.

Requiring the shot likely would have boosted meningococcal vaccine coverage, a step forward for public health. Blocking this new requirement is irresponsible and ill-informed. Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, did not respond to an editorial writer's request for comment.

Evers ought to keep trying to require this vaccine. Meningococcal disease is rare, with 209 cases and 30 deaths reported in all age groups in the United States in 2021. Still, that's little comfort if it's your loved one in the intensive care unit.

Guarding against transmission is also difficult, making the vaccine especially vital, notes Dr. Kathryn Schmit, a pediatric infectious disease expert with Children's Minnesota.

The pathogen spreads through contact with secretions from the nose and throat. Transmission can occur through kissing, sharing a drinking cup or eating utensils, or close contact such as living in the same household.

A "portion of the population" harbor the pathogen in their noses and throats, Schmit said. It doesn't make them sick but they can still transmit the infection.

That means that traditional measures to guard against illness, such as staying away from obviously sick people, may not work because it's not clear who can spread this infection.

Vaccination protects young people and all who are around them, Schmit notes. Side effects are generally minor and include redness or pain at the injection site. She urged parents with questions to talk through concerns with a physician. Children's Minnesota and other pediatric clinics also have options to help patients fearful of needles.

Wisconsin Republicans fumbled on protecting kids against a frightening pathogen. It's a disturbing error. They need to reconsider and take the responsible course of action.