Since 1967, Tennessee has protected students, faculty, staff and the community by requesting specific vaccinations for children to attend school. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 28Rep. Gino Bruso, a Brentwood Republican, threatens to make these requirements unconstitutional.
School vaccination requirements play an important role in keeping the disease at bay. Elimination of measles is a illustrious example of the success of such laws, and the revival of outbreaks like the ones in Texas is a calm reminder of their importance.
The first measles vaccine was approved in 1963, followed by the first national vaccination campaign in 1966. Within two years, the incidence of measles had decreased by more than 90%. The pre-vaccine era level.
In 1967, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted the state’s first school vaccine requirement for kindergarteners to enroll in schools. Physicians can grant medical exemptions if necessary. Unless there is a prevalence or immediate threat, parents can request medical exemptions if they are members of “a well-known religious denomination where relying on prayer and spiritual means involves spiritual means for healing.”
The law was very effective and Tennessee has significantly reduced its annual measles incident. In the textbook, “Public Health Practice Law“Kevin Malone and Alan Hinman said, “In states that had the Measles Vaccine School Vaccination Act, there was a 40%-51% lower incidence of measles than in states that had no such laws.” Tennessee was a proud leader in the campaign to eradicate the disease.
By 1977, vaccination rates had fallen. President Jimmy Carter has launched the National Childhood Vaccination Program. The goal of this initiative was for at least 90% of American children to be vaccinated by 1979. Many states have started to look at vaccination laws and find better ways to implement them.
After much discussion and deliberation, Tennessee lawmakers determined that the 1967 law was “inadequate because it lacked sufficient sanctions.” In 1978, almost a decade after demanding vaccinations for the first school, the Tennessee General Assembly unanimously passed “one of the nation’s most mandatory school vaccination laws.”
The new law extended the requirements for all children from kindergarten to high school and imposed a penalty for non-compliance. Unvaccinated children were not counted in the average daily attendance at school, meaning they couldn’t count because of state funds. The state’s public health department determined that in 1978 it would be necessary to administer vaccines for Ifteria, tetanus, pertussis, polyomuelitis, measles and rubella to start schools.
Ensuring that 840,000 Tennessee K-12 students were vaccinated was a monumental job. The health department, schools, the media, the Red Cross and the state PTA have helped parents to communicate their words.
Parents and children stood in a long line to get vaccinated in time for the school year to begin. State Health Commissioner EW Fowinkle reported that despite having a difficult mountain to climb, “the campaign received strong support from the public, physicians and health and education staff.” He acknowledged that the health education department is not always in alignment. They agreed on the importance of vaccination programs, but it wasn’t always easy to manage.
Naturally, the main focus of the Ministry of Health was the vaccination programme. They needed the education department to help enforcement. The education department could sometimes resent the disruption caused by vaccination programs. Despite these difficulties, an audit at the end of the 1978-1979 academic year showed that 95.3% of all K-12 students in public schools were vaccinated. Only 0.2% of parents requested medical or religious exemptions. According to Malone and Hinman, “Analyses of states with the highest incidence of measles and lowest incidences between 1979 and 1980 found that states with the lowest incidences are very likely to have laws covering the entire school population.
In 1981, Commissioner Fowinkle wrote: The frequent occurrence of physical disability and death caused by these diseases is even more tragic, as it is not necessary. ” 45 years later, his words are still true, and perhaps even more so.
The law enacted in 1978 has been largely intact for the past few decades. Religious exemptions have expanded to “conflicts with the religious doctrines and practices of parents or guardians.” Although vaccination rates have steadily declined over the past few years (Figure 2), the measles vaccination rate in Tennessee is 94.9%. In 2000, the United States declared that measles had been eradicated. Tennessee continues to maintain a handful of measles cases each year.
Parents want to keep their children safe and healthy. They understand the importance of school vaccine requirements. According to the 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Parent Research Center, “The majority of parents/guardians (76.6%) agreed somewhat or strongly that school and childcare vaccination requirements were important and necessary.”
Tennessee has vaccinated more than 90% of school children despite a wide range of exemption policies. Tennessee once proudly led other parts of the country to prevent illness. HJR0028 threatens us to become leaders in increased illness, hospitalizations, long-term disability and even death. Our General Assembly has the opportunity to choose the kind of example we want to be another part of the country. It is my sincere hope that by rejecting Bulso’s bill, they choose the health and safety of our children and our community.
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