Replies

The “opt out” was a prior Legislature decision. The Governor’s EO made it easier to opt out by putting the request form for the opt out form online. Before, parents had to send in a letter requesting the form, with a lot of delay built in.

That provision remained part of the regulations after the EO was rescinded.

The EO also gave more publicity to the opt out provision than it had ever had. (Personally, I believe that’s why the Texas Medical Association didn’t support him.)

Private insurances, for the most part, won’t pay for non-mandatory vaccines.

The best thing the Governor could have done is just let the Department of State Heath Services quietly make the vaccine mandatory, under the authority long ago given to that Executive Branch agency by the Legislature. Instead, the Governor governed, and ordered the agency that he headed to do it.

He made a decision, followed through, and took responsibility for it.

He has said that if he had it to do over, he would have begun a conversation with the voters before the order came down. I’m proud that he doesn’t say he should have just whispered in the ear of some one at DSHS.

The idea was to get private insurance to pay for the vaccine, as it was already free of charge to every girl eligible under the Federal Vaccines for Children program. That included Medicaid, SCHIPS, Indian Health, and those who are not insured or whose insurance won’t pay for vaccines at all.