The increase is the largest single-year jump in religious exemptions since the department began tracking the data a decade ago.
CT’s Religious Exemption from Mandatory School Vaccinations
Connecticut will no longer allow religious exemptions from mandatory school vaccinations starting Sept. 1, 2022.
In 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly moved to repeal religious exemptions from mandatory school vaccinations. Children in pre-kindergarten, day care or those new to the school system will no longer be able to claim the exemption starting Sept. 1, 2022. Children who are already in kindergarten through 12th grade can remain exempt for the remainder of their academic careers.
The law has prompted challenges in court and is emerging as an issue in the 2022 statewide elections.
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Public health commissioner won’t release school-by-school vaccination data
The decision to withhold the data comes after calls for transparency from lawmakers who say parents should have access to the information as the school year begins.
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Lawmakers call for release of vaccine data as students begin school year
House Majority Leader says state would be “negligent” if it withheld data that showed an increase in vaccine exemptions.
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Lawyer for Bristol couple’s vaccine lawsuit: Data release is ‘invasion of privacy’
A lawyer for a Bristol couple suing to block the release of Connecticut school-by-school immunization data argues in court papers that distributing the information amounts to an “invasion of privacy” for families with unvaccinated children, even though no students would be identified.
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Education group: Repeal the religious exemption from vaccination
Connecticut’s religious exemption from vaccinating school children should be repealed and state Health Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell must be free to weigh in on the issue, the head of an education reform advocacy group said Monday.
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Health officials share concerns over religious exemption to vaccines
The Department of Public Health continues to refuse to offer an opinion on whether politicians should wipe out the religious exemption to vaccines.
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Republican lawmakers ask health commissioner not to offer opinion on vaccine exemption repeal
The lawmakers sent a letter to Commissioner Renee Coleman-Mitchell saying it would be improper for her to offer an opinion on the issue.
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In quest to repeal vaccine exemption, legislators seek powerful ally
But so far, the state’s new health commissioner, Renee Coleman-Mitchell, is taking pains to remain outside the political fray.
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Republican legislator signs on to represent Bristol couple in vaccine lawsuit
Cara Pavalock-D’Amato, R-Bristol, has agreed to represent the couple suing to block the release of data showing the percentage of unvaccinated children at each Connecticut school.
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State seeks dismissal of vaccine lawsuit
Lawyers for the state say the parents who brought the lawsuit lack standing because they have not proved that the data release harmed them.
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Legislative leaders press health commissioner on religious vaccine exemption
Legislative leaders ramped up pressure Thursday on the state’s new commissioner of public health, asking her to take a formal position on the hot-button issue of vaccine exemptions.
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Couple sues to block release of new, statewide vaccination data
The health department would not say Monday whether it still plans to make public the latest school-by-school information. The data was expected to be released this month.
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No vote to end religious vaccine exemptions this year
Lawmakers abandoned their quest this year because they couldn’t reach agreement on what to do with unvaccinated children already in school.
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Lawmakers poised to announce plan for repealing religious exemption on vaccines
At issue is whether children already enrolled in school would be “grandfathered in,” meaning the repeal might only affect those looking to attend public school in the future.
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Dozens of vaccine skeptics testify against removal of religious exemption
Dozens of immunization skeptics criticized the last-minute attempt to push through legislation that would dismantle the religious exemption, while hundreds more crowded into hearing rooms to listen to the testimony.
