Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIn SchoolsIn the WorkplaceTravelIn the MilitaryACIP RecommendationsChallengesOpting OutShortcomingsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
In Schools
In the Workplace
Travel
In the Military
ACIP Recommendations
Challenges
Opting Out
Shortcomings
Frequently Asked Questions
There is a lot of confusion—even among doctors—about whether certain vaccines arerecommendedormandated. So it’s not unfair to question if your child should get every vaccine theirpediatriciansays they should.
This article takes a closer look at vaccine mandates and why they vary depending on where you live. It includes a few reasons why people choose to opt out of vaccines. It also dispels a few myths that stop people from getting them.
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Are Vaccines Required in Schools?
All U.S. states have vaccine requirements, but these differ from state to state.Though the vaccines on the CDC’s recommended schedule are only recommended, some states may opt to mandate them to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases among school children.
For school-mandated vaccinations, each state makes its own list of vaccines that are required for a certain age or grade. Parents who don’t comply and provide evidence of the vaccination will typically be barred from having their kids attend school.
As straightforward as this might seem, there are challenges and barriers that affect how these mandates are issued and implemented. These include:
The federal government does not mandate vaccinations.
In some states, employers are prohibited from mandating vaccinations. In others, employers can require vaccinations, with certain limitations.
Employers that have vaccine mandates are expected to give religious and medical exemptions to employees that qualify for them, as long as those exemptions don’t create hardship for the business. This means the employer has to provide “reasonable accommodations” for employees who can not get vaccinated because of a disability or legitimate religious belief.
When and if an employer terminates an employee for not complying with a mandate, they also have to be able to prove they did not discriminate against that person.
Vaccine Mandates for Travel
As of 2023, you don’t need to provide proof of COVID vaccination to fly within the United States. However, travelers flying into the United States from other countries are required to be fully vaccinated.
If you are traveling from the U.S. to another country, it is important to check the travel restrictions for your destination. Some countries still require that you are up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccination before you can travel there.
Military Vaccine Mandates
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that service members would be required to be vaccinated with an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. In early 2023, that requirement was rescinded, along with the vaccine mandate for its civilian employees.
Other vaccines may be recommended for military service members who are traveling to areas where certain infectious diseases are present.
Who Sets Vaccine Recommendations?
The ACIP panel is comprised of experts in medical and public health fields. Doctors, researchers, infectious disease specialists, and community representatives are all part of the panel.
The schedule’s purpose is to provide people with the maximum protection from vaccine-preventable diseases as safely as possible. The schedule is organized according to the age ranges in which the recommended vaccinations should be given.
This schedule is updated every year to ensure that it is always based on the most up-to-date research. Medical professionals across the country use it to immunize their patients, and state governments follow the recommendations to determine which vaccines should be required (or mandated) for school.
12 Vaccines Recommended for Children
Challenges in Implementation
A number of variables can also influence how policies are enacted, including politics, cultural norms, and practicality. None of these issues should be minimized.
Parents and public opinion also play a role. In recent years, states that have mandated thehuman papillomavirus (HPV) vaccineto prevent the spread of thesexually transmitted diseasehave been faced with protests from community members who believe that doing so promotes teen sex.
Such an event occurred in New York State in 2019 when state officials mandated the HPV vaccination for students aged 11 to 12.
States can also require vaccines for specific groups, such as college students or nursing home employees, while individual schools or employers may issue mandates as well (such ashepatitis BandCOVID-19 vaccinationsfor hospital workers).
The reality is far less dramatic.Vaccine requirementsdon’t mean kids are being forced to be vaccinated. The requirements are limited to those attending school, and, even then, parents who don’t want to vaccinate their kids still have options.
In every state, children who shouldn’t receive vaccines for medical reasons—such asorgan transplantsorsevere allergies—can receive medical exemptions.
Who Should Not Get a Flu Shot
Opting out for non-medical beliefs may be more difficult. In most U.S. states parents are permitted to opt out of vaccines for non-medical reasons, such as religious objections to vaccination, but five states do not allow opting out for non-medical reasons.
Even with these various options to opt out of mandated vaccinations, only around 2% of parents actually do, according to a 2014 study in theAmerican Journal of Public Health.With that said, states with easy exemption policies have more than twice the number of exemptions as those with difficult ones.
Are Current Mandates Enough?
That is not to say that all vaccines are equally important. If a vaccine isn’t necessary for everyone to get, the ACIP has ways of indicating that it is optional.
A Word From Verywell
It is important to note that school-mandated vaccine requirements areminimumstandards. Because the ACIP schedule is more comprehensive, those who follow it will have no problem meeting requirements for school or work.
By contrast, getting only what is mandated may leave you vulnerable to preventable—and potentially serious—infections. If in doubt, speak with your healthcare provider to check if your child is getting all of the recommended vaccinations on the ACIP list, not just the mandated ones.
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Yes. States can add COVID-19 to the list of vaccinations required for children who attend public schools. California was the first state to mandate it, adding it to the list of required vaccinations beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.This policy was later cancelled in February 2023, but the state’s Department of Public Health continues to recommend that all eligible individuals get vaccinated.Learn MoreDifference Between Vaccine Side Effects and Adverse Events
Yes. States can add COVID-19 to the list of vaccinations required for children who attend public schools. California was the first state to mandate it, adding it to the list of required vaccinations beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.This policy was later cancelled in February 2023, but the state’s Department of Public Health continues to recommend that all eligible individuals get vaccinated.
Learn MoreDifference Between Vaccine Side Effects and Adverse Events
There are no national vaccine mandates. However, certain vaccinations may be required to work at some private and public organizations or in order to enroll in certain schools or organizations.Learn MoreVaccines Recommended for Older Adults
There are no national vaccine mandates. However, certain vaccinations may be required to work at some private and public organizations or in order to enroll in certain schools or organizations.
Learn MoreVaccines Recommended for Older Adults
Learn MoreVaccines for Healthcare Workers
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.School vaccination requirements and exemptions.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.What you should know about COVID-19 and the ADA, the rehabilitation act, and other EEO laws.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Requirement for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for air passengers.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Health Information for Travelers.
U.S. Department of Defense.DOD Rescinds COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Vaccines for Military Members.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunization schedules.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States.
WBEN News.Protesters oppose potential HPV vaccine mandate.
National Conference of State Legislatures.States with religious and philosophical exemptions from school immunization requirements.
Wang E, Clymer J, Davis-Hayes C, Buttenheim A.Nonmedical exemptions from school immunization requirements: A systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2014 Nov;104(11):e62-84. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302190
Centers for Disease Control.Disease Burden of Flu.
National Conference of State Legislatures.States With Religious and Philosophical Exemptions From School Immunization.
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