Legal approaches to promoting parental compliance with childhood immunization recommendations

Autor: Lois A. Weithorn, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, Vol 14, Iss 7, Pp 1610-1617 (2018)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2164-5515
2164-554X
21645515
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1423929
Popis: Rates of vaccine-preventable diseases have increased in the United States in recent years, largely due to parental refusals of recommended childhood immunizations. Empirical studies have demonstrated a relationship between nonvaccination rates and permissive state vaccine exemption policies, indicating that legal reforms may promote higher immunization rates. This article reviews relevant data and considers the legal landscape. It analyzes federal and state Constitutional law, concluding that religious and personal belief exemptions to school-entry vaccine mandates are not constitutionally required. It identifies public health, bioethical, and policy considerations relevant to the choice among legal approaches employed by states to promote parental compliance. The article describes a range of legal tools that may help promote parental cooperation with immunization recommendations.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals