Strong public health policies set forth by state and territorial legislators are critical to maintaining and rebuilding vaccine confidence. Prior to the pandemic, there was strong support for vaccines throughout state legislatures. In recent years, however, many of the hundreds of bills introduced related to vaccine policy propose weakening vaccination requirements by prohibiting certain vaccine requirements or expanding exemptions to vaccine requirements. As of February 3, 2023, there were more than 250 vaccine-related bills being considered across 37 state legislatures.
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) recently convened virtual learning opportunities to help public health leaders increase vaccine confidence among elected leaders and navigate current legislative sessions. Participants engaged with vaccine policy experts, public health leaders experienced in navigating legislative processes, and peers from across the nation.
Read the whole blog post from ASTHO here.