In the past it has been easy for parents who did not wish to vaccinate their children to obtain an exemption. In many cases it only required the signing of a piece of paper. However, such exclusions may not be so easy to obtain in the future thanks to this year's highly publicized Disneyland measles outbreak.
The measles outbreak infected more than 150 people in 17 states may no longer be making the front page, but the outbreak could have a lasting impact on public health standards and policies. Already, lawmakers in at least 10 states are introducing new legislation that would make exemptions much harder to obtain.
The new laws proposed have been introduced by both Democrats and Republicans and contain a broad range of approaches including requiring schools to post immunization rates to completely eliminating all religious and philosophical exemptions. All of the laws are responding to one hard to deny fact: Most of the recent measles cases have been in people who were not vaccinated against the disease.
Lawmakers are optimistic about the chances of the proposed bills, but most aren't far enough long in the process to really determine their fates.
"This is not the last outbreak we're going to see," said Washington Rep. June Robinson (D). "The issue will continue to be in the public conversation."
While approximately 80 percent of Americans believe all children should receive vaccinations, the proposed laws have been opposed by a small, yet vocal minority of anti-vaccine advocates who believe that parents should decide whether their children receive immunizations.
In the past, anti-vaccine organizations have had some success fighting legal efforts to limit exemptions using grassroots efforts. For example, anti-vaccine advocates quickly mobilized in Colorado to fight a bill that would require parents to complete an online module about immunizations or consult a doctor before opting out. The bill passed the state's House but failed in the Senate.
The National Vaccine Information Center, a non-profit with over 37,000 subscribers to an online portal that monitors vaccine related legislation, has urged its members to voice their opposition to the opposed laws.
"It's about respecting everybody's lives," said Barbara Lowe Fisher, the group's co-founder and president.
Even if passed, stronger laws still may not convince parents who oppose vaccines to immunize their children. A pediatric nurse practitioner, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, decided to home school her four-year-old son after the school system repeatedly denied her appeals to exempt him from the hepatitis B and flu vaccines.
"It's completely unfair and it's ridiculous and a violation of the Constitution."
