FROM PEDIATRICS
Nonmedical vaccine exemptions for children in Washington State decreased by 40% after the implementation of a law requiring parent counseling and a signed form from a medical provider, based on data from a regression analysis of kindergarten students during time periods before and after the law took effect.
“Evaluating the impact of mass implementation of a counseling intervention can therefore provide important insight into population level interventions that focus on interpersonal communication by an authority figure, in this case a health care provider,” Saad B. Omer, PhD , of Emory University in Atlanta, and his colleagues wrote in the journal Pediatrics .
The Washington State Senate Bill 5005 (SB5005), implemented in 2011, requires parents seeking exemptions to file a certificate of exemption (COE) signed by a Washington-licensed health care provider. It documents that the parents have discussed “the benefits and risks of immunizations” with the provider, the researchers wrote.
The researchers examined the effect of the parent counseling and signature requirement on exemption rates by reviewing data on kindergarten students.
Overall, the significant relative decrease of 40% translated to a significant absolute reduction of 2.9% in immunization exemption rates, and vaccine coverage increased or remained the same across all vaccines required for school. The greatest decline in exemption rates occurred in geographic areas with historically high rates before the bill was passed, the researchers said.
The findings may not be generalizable to other states, and additional studies will be needed in other states where vaccine laws have changed, Dr. Omer and his associates noted. However, the results suggest that evidence-informed laws can help improve vaccine coverage and reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable disease.
Based on the Washington findings, “states in the United States and jurisdictions in other countries should consider adding parental counseling as a requirement for obtaining exemptions to vaccination requirements,” they concluded.
Dr. Omer had no financial conflicts to disclose. One of the coauthors disclosed ties to vaccine manufacturers, and another’s organization had such ties. The study was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
