New Polling Shows Massachusetts Voters Continue to Strongly Back Strong School Vaccine Laws
A new poll by Workbench Strategy for Massachusetts Families for Vaccines shows that Massachusetts voters and parents overwhelmingly support strong vaccine requirements for school entry.
89% of voters support vaccine requirements for children attending school.
67% of voters support eliminating the religious exemption by passing H.2554.
H.2554 will close the loophole that allows families to claim a religious exemption to avoid routine childhood vaccines required for school entry. It will also require school districts to regularly report immunization and exemption rates to the state. The poll was conducted between June 9 and 14 and represents a sample size of 600 likely November voters and an additional 100 likely voters in “purple” State House districts. The margin of error is four percentage points.
Key Findings
Across party lines, voters are most likely to vote for a legislator who supports H. 2554.
70% of voters support eliminating the religious exemption by passing H.2554. This includes 86% of likely Democratic primary voters.
Voters trust doctors, pediatricians, and hospitals.
Over half of the respondents trust these messengers regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Why This Matters
Vaccination rates of 95% or higher are needed to maintain community immunity from measles and to protect those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. While Massachusetts maintains high overall immunization rates, nearly all exemptions currently claimed are for religious reasons.
Five other states — California, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and West Virginia — already prohibit non-medical exemptions. Passing S.1557/H.2554 would put Massachusetts among the nation’s leaders in protecting school communities from preventable diseases.
What People Are Saying
“It’s rare these days to see this level of bipartisan agreement on any issue, particularly one involving public health and personal beliefs. The fact that strong majorities of Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans back this proposal underscores how broadly Massachusetts voters view vaccination as a matter of public safety rather than politics.”
— Matthew Shelter, Co-Founder of Beacon Research
“As we begin another school year, every parent in Massachusetts should be able to send their children to class with the knowledge and security that they will be protected from preventable diseases. No one should have to worry that low vaccination rates at their child’s school could trigger an outbreak.”
— Katie Blair, Director of MA Families for Vaccines
“Science-backed data have proven over and over again that vaccines are the single most successful preventive measure against devastating and potentially deadly diseases. I have conversations with parents every day about the safety and importance of vaccines, and I think this poll clearly illustrates that a majority of parents in Massachusetts agree.”
— Dr. Mary Beth Miotto, Pediatrician, Past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
“There is no major religion that bans vaccines, and it is gratifying to see that the majority of Massachusetts parents prioritize the safety of those in their communities over allowing parents to opt out of vaccines for their children for anything other than medical necessity.”