A study in JAMA Network Open shows that a New York state bill banning nonmedical vaccine exemptions for school entry increased vaccine use outside of New York City. The bill, Senate Bill 2994A, was passed in June 2019 after two large measles outbreaks in the state. It was effective immediately and required all students to comply, even those with existing nonmedical exemptions.
The study used school immunization data from the 2012-13 to 2021-22 school years. It covered all public and private schools outside of New York City. The final analysis included 3,632 schools.
After the 2019 implementation of Senate Bill 2994A, vaccine coverage increased by 5.5% in nonpublic schools and 0.9% in public schools. The authors believe the bill led to annual increases of 1.0% in nonpublic schools and 0.3% in public schools through the 2021 to 2022 school years. These increases were significant.
The study found that removing nonmedical vaccination exemptions for school entry can effectively increase vaccination rates without being replaced by new medical exemptions. This indicates that such laws can help improve vaccination rates among students.