Most State Legislatures Support Expanding Vaccine Exemptions

Legislators located in Northeastern and Southern states were most likely to propose vaccine exemption legislation
Legislature
(Precision Vaccinations News)

A new study of 175 proposed State legislation found that 92 (53%) bills proposed expanding access to vaccine exemptions. 

And, legislation to expand access to exemptions was more likely to come from states located in the Northeastern and Southern states. 

The 4 leading states with proposed legislation that would have increased access to vaccine exemptions were New Jersey (32), New York (28), West Virginia (15) and Mississippi (12). 

These researchers from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health said ‘the prevalence of the anti-vaccine mindset should raise concerns about the future of public health.’ 

Moreover, there is a need for state constituents to engage their elected legislators and advocate pro-vaccination policies, said these researchers. 

But, there is some good news. 

According to this study, state legislation that limited vaccine exemptions were significantly more likely to be enacted into law. 

Between 2011 to 2017, 12 of the 13 bills signed into law (92%) limited a person’s access to vaccine exemptions. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local vaccination requirements for daycare and school entry are important tools for maintaining high vaccination rates, which help lower rates of vaccine-preventable diseases. 

Each state establishes the vaccination requirements for school children. 

All states provide medical exemptions, and some state laws also offer exemptions for religious and/or philosophical reasons. 

These laws often apply not only to children attending public schools but also to those attending private schools and day care facilities, says the CDC. 

The CDC’s Public Health Law Program (PHLP) has compiled state statutes and regulations regarding school vaccinations. For more information, please visit the State School and Childcare Vaccination Laws website.  

Any correspondence regarding this study should be sent to Neal D. Goldstein, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 (e-mail: [email protected]).

 

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