The White House on Tuesday said that a new federal mandate was not needed to ensure parents get their children vaccinated.
“We don’t need a new law,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters, urging parents to exercise “common sense.”
“This is a state and local issue,” Earnest added, emphasizing that “every child should get the measles vaccine.”
An outbreak of measles has brought the debate over whether vaccines should be compulsory back into the political realm.
Likely Republican presidential candidates Rand Paul and Chris Christie have been criticized for their recent remarks on vaccines. Christie on Monday said parents should have the choice of whether to vaccinate their children, and Paul questioned the effectiveness of certain vaccines altogether.
In recent days, Obama has repeatedly told parents that it is safe to vaccinate their children.
Still, the White House stopped short of demanding a federal law on vaccines.
“The president believes it shouldn’t require a law for people to exercise common sense and do the right thing,” Earnest said. “And again, this is the right thing for them to do, both by their own children and also other children in the community. They have a responsibility to do this.”
