Chris Christie: Tough On Abortion, Soft On Measles?

There are many words that come to mind when describing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. However, soft would certainly be very low on that list.

The often bullish Chris Christie broke his silence on the issue regarding whether parents should have their child vaccinated in order to protect themselves and the public from diseases such as measles.

“Mary Pat and I have had our children vaccinated and we think that it’s an important part of being sure we protect their health and the public health,” Christie told reporters while on a three-day tour in Britain.

“I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well, so that’s the balance that the government has to decide.”

Chris Christie’s use of the phrase “measure of choice” was interesting to say least because the likely Republican presidential candidate was not so lenient when discussing whether or not women should make that decision for themselves.

Chris Christie is the first New Jersey governor to oppose abortion rights since Roe v. Wade. In 2010, Christie cut funding to women’s health clinics, most operated by Planned Parenthood, which provide abortion services. Christie insisted that cuts needed to be made in order to tighten the state’s budgets.

Back in 2009, while running for governor, Christie wrote a letter sympathizing with the families of those who choose not to vaccinate their children despite having no scientific proof that vaccination led to autism.

“I have met with families affected by autism from across the state and have been struck by their incredible grace and courage. Many of these families have expressed their concern over New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation vaccine mandates. I stand with them now, and will stand with them as their governor in their fight for greater parental involvement in vaccination decisions that affect their children.”

Last year, America saw its largest measles outbreak in 20 years, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The United States experienced a record number of measles cases during 2014, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). This is the greatest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.”

New Jersey was one of the 27 states that reported a case to the CDC.

Chris Christie, who was seen watching Arsenal demolish Aston Villa on Super Bowl Sunday, is currently touring the London area on a three-day trade mission.

[Image via nbcnews.com]