Senate committee votes 6-2 to continue (effectively kill) school MMR attendance bill after heated testimony

A Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee on March 4 voted 6-2 to continue S.897, Senator Margie Matthews’ school-attendance measure concerning MMR vaccine requirements, after extensive public testimony and debate.

Senator Matthews (sponsor) said S.897 does not mandate vaccination but sets a condition for public school attendance and preserves medical exemptions. "This is about the children," she said in opening remarks, urging colleagues to prioritize child safety and in-person education.

The hearing drew a broad mix of witnesses. Hafiza Yates of South Carolina Families for Vaccines supported the bill, saying it protects medically vulnerable children and prevents outbreaks. Several public commenters opposed the measure, citing religious objections and alleging vaccine harms; some speakers repeated claims that MMR contains aborted fetal cell lines and asserted vaccine injury and long-term harms. Dr. Linda Bell of DPH disputed some of those claims in testimony, saying fetal tissue is not in current vaccine doses and that there is no causal association between MMR and autism.

Committee members debated the balance between parental rights and public-health protections. With limited floor time remaining, a senator moved to continue S.897; the motion carried on a 6-2 vote, the chairman said, and he noted a separate personal-exemption bill could be filed in the future.

What’s next: The committee’s continuation vote removes S.897 from immediate consideration and, according to the chair, is expected to preclude further action on the measure this year unless reintroduced or otherwise scheduled.