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Governor vetoes bill requiring vaccine info

Posted at 8:15 PM, Apr 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-29 21:15:32-04

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Gov. Mary Fallin has vetoed a bill that would have required doctors administering vaccines to provide certain information about the benefits and risks of vaccines.

In a veto message released late Friday, Fallin said the bill is an unfunded mandate that would have required doctors to provide consumers with some "irrelevant and obsolete information." Fallin says Oklahoma's vaccination rate has fallen from 94 percent in 2006 to 90 percent, increasing the risk of an outbreak in Oklahoma. She says the bill likely would have led to a further decrease in vaccinations in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Medical Association and the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics praised Fallin for vetoing the bill.

Rep. Randy Grau of Edmond said he was disappointed Fallin vetoed his bill.