Under changes proposed in SB246, an Alabama parent would be able to file a written religious objection to vaccinating a school-age child.

Currently, children are required to be up to date on vaccines that protect against diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio and chickenpox. Children are not required to be vaccinated against COVID. If a parent objects to vaccines on religious grounds, they must get a written document from a county health department.

The new bill would lessen requirements and allow “a written statement provided by a child’s parent or guardian to the local board of education declaring that he or she wishes to exempt his or her child from vaccination or testing requirement.”

“If they had a religious objection to vaccine requirements, Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the bill’s sponsor, said, “then they would just present that to the school so it gets the government out of people having to, more or less, represent their religious objections to vaccines.”

A parent would not have to explain their reasoning, obtain a third party certification or have the exemption approved by a local board of education.

Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, asked Orr about the infection rate of children who have not been vaccinated but did not specify a particular disease.

Orr responded, “You could argue that with building up immunity themselves they do better than the vaccinated children but that’s a conflict above my pay grade.”

Earlier this spring, Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of UAB and Children’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, said Alabama is one of 36 states with vaccination rates that are too low to prevent the spread of measles.

Kimberlin said that measles can have serious, long-term impacts, and that the vaccines against it and other childhood diseases are safe and effective.

SB246 also states that a student at a public institution of higher education cannot be required to be vaccinated or tested “for any disease as a condition for enrollment or attendance” unless the student objects for religious reasons or has a “competent medical authority” certify the student is exempt for medical reasons.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2% of kindergarten students were exempted from vaccination requirements during the 2022-23 school year, an increase of 0.3% over the previous school year. Nationwide, that figure was 3% of kindergarteners.

The bill received unanimous approval and is headed to the Senate floor for consideration.