Do Disease Outbreaks Prompt State Vaccine Exemption Legislation?

An increase in vaccine-preventable disease was associated with subsequent state legislation to restrict exemptions.

Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) have been attributed to parental vaccine hesitancy resulting in increasing numbers of intentionally unimmunized children. Some state legislators have attempted to combat parental vaccine refusal by introducing bills that limit exemptions. In California, such legislative action resulted in fewer children entering kindergarten without up-to-date vaccination status (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Jul 10 2019; [e-pub] and JAMA 2019; 322:49 and 33).

Researchers have now examined whether an increase in VPDs correlates with the introduction of bills related to vaccine exemptions. They analyzed state-level data on VPD cases between 2010 and 2016 and data on bills related to vaccination exemption int…

Reviewing Author

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Do Disease Outbreaks Prompt State Vaccine Exemption Legislation?

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Reviewing Author