Happy World Immunization Week 2025! To celebrate, we wanted to highlight a dataset that was recently updated from the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law and ASTHO. The data now capture legislation addressing school entry vaccination requirements, non-medical exemptions to school vaccination requirements, the reallocation of authority to determine vaccination requirements for schools, and expansions to provider scope of practice to administer vaccines between January 1, 2023, and September 23, 2024, in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Between January 1, 2023, and September 23, 2024, 281 bills were introduced, and 45 bills were enacted (a 16% passage rate). Of the 45 bills enacted, 31 expanded scope of practice for vaccine administration and two added school vaccination requirements; 10 of the 45 enacted bills prohibited school entry requirements and two expanded nonmedical exemptions. Introduced bills were mostly focused on limiting school vaccination requirements (105 bills).
The District of Columbia enacted the most laws, five, during this time.
There were 45 bills enacted in 26 states and the District of Columbia that address school vaccination requirements and provider scope of practice.
Of the 45 bills enacted, 31 bills in 21 states and the District of Columbia expanded the scope of practice for a provider to administer vaccines. This means more types of health care providers can now administer vaccines and increase access. Providers can include pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy interns, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, midwives, medical assistants, and emergency medical technicians.
Since September 2024, Idaho's governor signed a bill that removes the state board of health’s authority to determine the required immunizations for daycare and school enrollment and the manner and frequency of their administration. The required immunizations, their manner and frequency, are now set out in statute. The bill also gets rid of the Idaho Childhood Immunization Policy Commission. The commission was created in 2010 to make recommendations related to childhood immunizations to the legislature and board of health.
Explore the data on LawAtlas.org