Issue: Prohibiting Emergency Use Authorization Vaccines as a Requirement for School Entry
Examples of State Bill(s):
- AZ HB2442. School Immunization Exclusions. Prohibits EUA vaccine requirements
- TN HB263 Infectious Diseases – As introduced, prohibits a governmental entity, school, or local education agency from mandating that a person receive a vaccine that has not been fully approved by the federal food and drug administration and makes related changes.
What it Means:
- Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is a way to get critical vaccines (or medicines) to the pubic during an emergency. The legislation tries to undermine this process, by prohibiting adding any vaccine with emergency use authorization to the list of vaccinations required for school and child daycare entry, even during a severe disease outbreak.
Key Talking Points:
- This law removes a critical tool from the public health toolbox by adding a blanket prohibition without recognizing the unique circumstances of a public health emergency.
- This type of legislation could impact not only COVID-19 but future outbreaks of other diseases. For example, if Ebola is present in the state and there is an EUA vaccine available under this law, a vaccine to protect against Ebola will not be available.
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides scientific and regulatory advice to vaccine developers and undertakes a rigorous evaluation of the scientific information through all phases of clinical trials, which continues after a vaccine has been approved by FDA or authorized for emergency use.
- As a matter of urgency, scientists collaborate with public and private partners to develop a safe vaccine that met all of the vaccine development criteria and was likely to work.
- Recently, COVID-19 vaccinations were added to child, adolescent and adult immunization schedules by the CDC but this is not a mandate. Decisions on school vaccination remain up to the state and local governments to control.
Bottom Line:
- Vaccination is an effective way to prevent or mitigate disease in an individual and a population.
- Vaccines not only protect oneself, but families, neighbors, and communities. They are especially important for children, older adults, for those who are immunocompromised, and those who may not be able to get vaccinated.
- COVID-19 vaccinations protect individuals from severe illness, hospitalization and death and have helped Americans get back to work and to our daily lives.
- We should work together to encourage all individuals to receive all recommended vaccines.
We urge Legislators to vote NO on any attempt to limit vaccination.