Health Consequences of Religious and Philosophical Exemptions From Immunization Laws

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Abstract
Immunizations are among the most cost-effective and successful public health interventions. Due to the high contagion, morbidity, and mortality associated with most vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), and the safety, effectiveness, and potential financial savings offered by vaccines, all jurisdictions in the United States have introduced and actively enforce laws that require proof of immunization for school entrance.1-3 Many of these laws were initially written specifically for smallpox and later amended to include other VPDs.4 Although there are no federal laws mandating immunizations, the US Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of state vaccination laws. In 1905, the Court ruled in favor of a Massachusetts law; in 1922, the Court specifically addressed vaccination as a prerequisite for school attendance.3 These federal rulings have served as precedents for state court rulings.