Connecticut Upholds Law Banning Religious Vaccine Exemptions for Children

A federal appeals court has upheld a Connecticut law that ended religious exemptions from immunization requirements for children in schools, colleges, and daycares. The court ruled that ending religious exemptions, while still allowing medical exemptions, was a rational means to promote health and safety by reducing the potential spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. The law had been challenged by several groups and parents, but the court found that it did not violate constitutional rights to due process and the free exercise of religion. Connecticut joins five other U.S. states in eliminating religious exemptions from vaccination requirements.