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Executive Summary

Kadiejah Williams Southern New Hampshire University IHP 610 Health Policy and Law Professor Kimberly Ondo September 18, 2021

Executive Summary Within the state of Evergreen, compulsory immunization requirements are mandated for children attending public school and healthcare workers. Though there are two exemptions available: firmly held religious beliefs and medical safety reasons. Both exemptions apply to children while healthcare workers can only be exempt for medical reasons. The state of Evergreen is currently experiencing a health law and policy issue due to outbreaks of whooping cough, within the past year, and measles, within the past ten years, occurring in three major counties, Cedar, Fir, and Pine. The Evergreen Legislature is considering the removal of exemption for firmly held religious beliefs based on the statistics of these outbreaks and if passed public schools will be responsible for enforcing this requirement. Immunizations have been among the most successful of preventive interventions (Freed, 1993), though policymakers, and other stakeholders— parents/guardians, elected officials, and school nurses/administrators— oppose the bill. Some parents and advocates contend that vaccine mandates infringe on a person's individual right to choose, especially if a parent is concerned that vaccines may harm children. School administrators are concerned that they will not having funding to mandate the requirements if religious beliefs are removed from exemptions; especially since they have a difficult time now. If religious beliefs are removed as an exemption for immunizations, the state would be at risk of legal action for religious discrimination. From my standpoint, it is my recommendation that the presented bill revision includes exemptions for personal objection, firm religious beliefs, and medical reasons. It is important that we consider individuals who adhere to their beliefs, values, and morals and have personal objections of vaccinations but cannot justify their beliefs on religious grounds. As for funding for the schools, it is recommended that federal funding is advocated for by the state to implement and manager

the Vaccines for Children Program under the Public Health Services Act. Additionally, Section 317 of the Public Health Services Act creates a federal program administered by CDC and provides grants to states and territories, commonwealth trusts and several cities for vaccine purchase and programs such as outreach and disease surveillance (State Immunization Policy Overview, 2021).

References Freed, G. L. (1993). Childhood immunization programs: An analysis of policy issues. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8450823/ State immunization policy overview. (2021, February 26). National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/immunizations-policy-issuesoverview.aspx...