The Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state's religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges, and day care facilities. The law, which drew protests at the state Capitol, was upheld by a federal appeals court after a lower court judge dismissed a lawsuit against it.
Connecticut's law mandates that students must receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, with allowances for medical exemptions. Prior to 2021, students could also seek religious exemptions. Lawmakers decided to end the religious exemption due to concerns about an increase in exemption requests coinciding with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools.
