Letter to the editor: Religious Exemption

The op-ed “Mass. has high vax rate – keep religious exemption” (July 24) is flawed on several fronts.

While Massachusetts does have a high overall immunization rate, there are dozens of schools and several counties with dangerously low rates. The author glosses over these “pockets” of under-vaccination. But thousands of children, including some who are immunocompromised or can’t receive vaccines for medical reasons, live in those areas. So do their infant siblings and older family members who may be more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases. The use of non-medical exemptions is also consistently trending upwards with each new kindergarten class.

This is particularly concerning given that the Centers for Disease Control has just reported a grim milestone: only a little over halfway through 2026, measles cases nationwide have already surpassed record numbers — the highest they’ve been in 35 years.

Recent polling shows that eliminating the non-medical exemption is widely supported: 70% of Massachusetts voters want their legislators to pass H.2554 and eliminate the loophole.

H.2554 strengthens reporting and compliance requirements by school and district (with privacy protections in place). Ms. Edwards fails to mention that over a third of kindergartens in the state don’t report their immunization rates. Parents have a right to know their children are safe from preventable diseases while in class.

Ms. Edwards claims children with religious exemptions are “usually missing only one or two vaccines,” but the publicly available data do not show which vaccines each exempted child has declined. Without that information, it’s impossible to know whether most exempted children are missing one, two, or more vaccines.

H.2554 is common sense public health policy with wide support that should be passed before the end of this legislative session.

Katie Blair

Director of Massachusetts Families for Vaccines