Are you ready for some outbreaks? "Tim Tebow Laws" and childhood immunization

In 2012, South Carolina became the 30th state to pass a law allowing home-schooled students to participate in the interscholastic activities of public schools. Known as “Tim Tebow” laws, after the home-schooled Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who used Florida's law to play football in high school, such laws are touted as being necessary to provide home school children access to the educational and enrichment opportunities and services available to those educated in a larger school setting. The structure of such laws vary widely from state to state insofar as the entrance requirements needed to gain access to the public school organizations. State laws regulating home school settings do not generally require proof of childhood immunization. Furthermore, many Tim Tebow laws, including that of South Carolina, do not hold home-schooled participants to the same requirements for proof of immunization or immunization exemption as students directly enrolling in public schools. While not universal, previous studies have shown significantly higher rates of exemptors clustering in home-school settings, and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases starting and spreading via gatherings of unprotected populations at sporting and other public events. This presentation will discuss the legal, ethical, political, policy and public health concerns raised by the various state Tim Tebow laws, and offer recommendations to decrease the extant public health risks associated with current policies.