Leading Medical Organizations Endorse Strong School and Childcare Vaccination Requirements and Elimination of Non-Medical Exemptions School and childcare immunization requirements are central to efforts to ensure high vaccination rates for our nation’s children. Having a highly vaccinated population protects not only the children who receive vaccines, but also infants who are too young to be vaccinated, other children who cannot be vaccinated due to certain medical conditions, and other people in the community at risk of severe illness if exposed to vaccine-preventable infections. Allowing exemptions to school- and childcare-required vaccinations that are non-medical (e.g. religious or philosophical) erodes vaccination rates and increases the risk of community outbreaks. Recognizing the benefits and safety of vaccines for children and the risk of disease outbreaks when vaccine exemption rates increase, the following medical, nursing, and public health organizations oppose states’ policies allowing exemptions that are non-medical. 1. American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supports immu- 6. American Nurses Association (ANA) states “Given the recent surge of measles cases and potentially uncontrollable outbreaks nization of infants, children, adolescents, and adults as defined of other vaccine-preventable illnesses, ANA no longer supports by recommendations set forth in the Centers for Disease Control religious exemption as a reason to not get vaccinated. ANA and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization believes that to protect the health of the public, all individuals Practices and approved by the AAFP. “With the exception of polishould be immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.” cies which allow for refusal due to a documented allergy or mediANA Membership Assembly; June 2019 cal contraindication, the AAFP does not support immunization exemption policies.” 2015 September Board of Directors; 2016 link: www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2019-newsCongress of Delegates releases/american-nurses-association-takes-action-on-criticalpublic-health-issues/ link: www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/immunizations exemptions.html 7. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommends that 2. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “recommends that all “states should eliminate exemptions to immunization mandates states and the District of Columbia use their public health based on non-medical indications, because intentionally unvacciauthority to eliminate nonmedical exemptions from immunizanated individuals pose an unacceptable danger to the public.” tion requirements.” Committee on Practice and Ambulatory MediBoard of Directors, June 23, 2012. cine, Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on State Govlink: www.idsociety.org/globalassets/idsa/policy--advocacy/ ernment Affairs, Council on School Health, Section on current_topics_and_issues/immunizations_and_vaccines/ Administration and Practice Management; September 2016 statements/062312-idsa-policy-statement-on-state-immuniza link: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/ tion-mandates.pdf pediatrics/138/3/e20162145.full.pdf 8. National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) 3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) “advocates for policies that reduce or eliminate religious and recognizes that “non-medical exemptions from immunizations – philosophical exemptions from [school and child care] requirepersonal, philosophical or religious – endanger the health of the ments.” Board of Directors; July 2019 exempted and other individuals, communities, and our nation. link: www.naccho.org/uploads/downloadable-resources/16ACOG opposes non-medical exemptions from state immuniza01-School-and-Child-Care-Immunization-Requirements.pdf// tion requirements and urges ob-gyns to educate and encourage jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2503179 patients to get immunized.” Executive Board; June 2019 9. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) link: www.acog.org/-/media/Statements-of-Policy/Public/ “In an effort to ensure that all pediatric populations are protected 99VaccineExemptions.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20190919T1728130898 against vaccine-preventable illness and remain healthy, NAPNAP 4. American College of Physicians (ACP) “urges chapters to affirms that NPs [nurse practitioners] and other pediatric health advance policies at the state level that eliminate any existing care providers must . . . lead policy change in states to eliminate exemptions, except for medical reasons, from their immunizanonmedical exemptions for school entry.” Executive Board; tion laws and/or oppose legislation to expand exemptions.” DiviJune 9, 2018 sion of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy; July 2015 link: www.jpedhc.org/article/S0891-5245(18)30378-X/pdf link: www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/state-immunization10. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), “whose memberlaws-should-eliminate-non-medical-exemptions-say-internists ship constitutes individuals dedicated to the treatment, control, 5. American Medical Association (AMA) policy “recommends that and eradication of infectious diseases in children, opposes legisstates have in place an established decision mechanism that lation or regulations that would allow children to be exempted involves qualified public health physicians to determine which from school and childcare immunization requirements based on vaccines will be mandatory for admission to schools and other their parents’ personal or religious beliefs (non-medical exemppublic venues. States should only grant exemptions to these tions). Exemptions from school and childcare requirements can mandated vaccines for medical reasons.” Press Release; June 2015 lead to outbreaks of disease.” March 2019 link: www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ link: www.pids.org/images/docs/Advocacy/Pediatric_Infectious_ ama-supports-tighter-limitations-immunization-opt-outs Diseases_Society_Position_on_Non.pdf Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2071.pdf • Item #P2071 (10/19)