Online Program

318641
Unvaccinated students and disease outbreaks: A review of the legal authority and challenges to school exclusion laws


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Andy Baker-White, JD, MPH, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Network for Public Health Law - Mid-States Region, Ann Arbor, MI
Every state requires students be immunized against certain communicable diseases and every state allows some type of exemption to the immunization requirements (e.g., medical, religious, and/or personal belief). Several states also have laws authorizing health or education officials at the state and local levels to temporarily exclude unvaccinated children from school during a communicable disease outbreak. These policies are important control measures used to reduce and prevent the spread and incidence of communicable disease. It’s not unheard of for state immunization requirements to be challenged as a violation of individual rights. Claims against the temporary exclusion laws have been rare, perhaps nonexistent, and a recent legal challenge to the New York law authorizing temporary exclusions provides an example of how such claims come about and are decided. This presentation will examine state school exclusion laws and review how some states are implementing such policies. The presentation will also explore the public health and legal basis for temporary school exclusion laws and policies and explore legal challenges to the laws.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Explain the public health and legal basis for school exclusion laws. Compare the characteristics of state school exclusion laws. Identify legal challenges to school exclusion laws.

Keyword(s): Immunizations, Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As part of the Network for Public Health Law I have provided direct legal technical assistance to public health officials, practitioners, attorneys, policymakers, and advocates. I have also developed resources, presented on, and provided technical assistance on the use of law as a tool for promoting and protecting public health, public health legal authority, the powers and duties of public health agencies, and immunization law.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.