Vaccine programs are governed by a complex network of Federal and State laws.

For a primer on this subject please watch “Attorney Aaron Siri Talks US Vaccine Law at Dartmouth College” (4/26/2023)

School and other mandates are generally decided a the state level.

The Records on Mandatory Vaccination Laws in Vermont

In 1912 (not long after Jacobson v. Massachusetts in 1905), the Vermont legislature debated compulsory vaccination,  but as you can read, the idea was met with too much resistance.

In 1913, FE Simpson of Glover, Vermont again warned of the medical politics that were beginning in America during those times.

Even during the famous polio outbreaks in the fifties, vaccination remained a voluntary procedure in Vermont and nearly all US states (read our reference from 1969).

In fact, school-child polio vaccine rates never exceeded 63% until the 1990’s.

chart from: CDC.

Vaccination laws have always been decided in the states, because communities need to enforce the laws on their own neighbors and community members.

In 1986, the Federal government did get involved – by passing a law that indemnified the vaccine industry from liability. You can no longer sue a vaccine (drug) company if their product kills or permanently disables you or your child.  (See: the 1986 Act). “Exemptions” had then become that much more important for parents!

The very first mandatory vaccine law in Vermont was not until… 1979.

The Cherry Street building is named after Dr. Roberta Coffin, who  worked for the state and lobbied the Vermont Legislature to pass a mandatory school vaccination law in 1979.

And in that law, Vermont CITIZENS RIGHTS WERE GUARANTEED, allowing, codifying, protecting, recognizing, the right for ANY PARENT to say “no” if they had an objection.

The legislative record reflects that his law intentionally codified the right of parents to  freely exercise their moral, philosophical or religious beliefs opposed to vaccination. The health department designed  a form to sign, which stated: “I request that following immunization(s) be waived because they conflict with free exercise of religious rights and /or moral (philosophic) rights.”

The original form was in use right up until 2012 – when the vaccine industry worked with our state agency employees and the AAP to systematically lie about vaccination rates dropping (they were rising) – and to claim that parents should no longer have the right to choose – a right they have always had, even during times of smallpox and polio (see references above).

In 2012, there was a move to abolish people’s rights to hold “philosphical objections” which were protected in the 1979 law. People’s rights were upheld in a Vermont House vote of 133-6. The Vermont Legislature had displayed an overwhelming support for parental choice and consent in medical decision-making. They had not LOCKED US OUT OF THE CONVERSATION, which they did in 2015 and as some are attempting to do now.

1979 Legislative Testimony:

2006-2007 Legislative Session: Bill to mandate HPV vaccine introduced

H.256 – bill to mandate HPV vaccine was introduced.

Merck had promoted the vaccine through “Women in Government” and was later exposed for the role they played in lobbying to make their own products mandatory.

The bill was defeated –  but a description change on exemptions (from “moral” to “philosophical”)  was rolled into another bill at the time- see: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2008/acts/ACT204.HTM

News coverage: HPV vaccine for school girls? Not now… https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/mandatory-hpv-vaccine-for-vt-schoolgirls-not-now/Content?oid=2130884

2011-2012 Legislative Session: Bill to repeal parent philosophical right to exempt introduced, but defeated 133-6.

See also: What Happened in 2012?

House Health Committee testimony (bill: S199)

– Jennifer Stella, for Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice, Part 1 (Position statement), March 27, 2012

– Jennifer Stella, for Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice, Part 2 (Full testimony file), March 27, 2012

2012 Public Hearing, Vermont Legislature
Public hearing/comment on 2012 Immunization Regulations – Comments to Health Department, October 26, 2012 (view video).
Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules  Nov. 29, 2012

2015-2016 Legislative Session: Sneak amendment to repeal parent philosophical right to exemption is forced through in just 29 days.

First there was a bill to implement a mandatory registry for all persons concerning their vaccination status – global opt in, no penalty for breach of data. We opposed.

Then, a PR firm was hired by the vaccine industry and a press conference was kicked off by dozens of lobbyists in February, 2015.

Since they could not move anything through the house, they opted for politick – in April.

What followed was a questionable * political process taking just 29 days, which you can read about, here.

*Parents were barred from testimony in the Vermont Senate. We organized and offered the following expert testimony to speak before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, in Opposition to Amendment for Repeal of Philosophical Exemption, April 22, 2015 @ 8:45 am, Room 10. We were given 60 minutes. Parents were not allowed to speak.

Senate committee testimony: Link here.

  • Dr. Toni Bark, MD, MS, Healthcare Emergency Management, former Director of Pediatric Emergency, Michael Reese Hospital (Chicago)
  • Dr. Meryl Nass, MD, ABIM, Biological warfare epidemiologist, anthrax expert, Internist, Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Maine)
  • Dr. Tetyana Obukhanych, Ph.D., Immunology (Rockefeller University), former research fellow (Harvard Medical School, Stanford University School of Medicine) – via Phone
  • Dr. Sandy Reider, MD, Medical Advisor, Vermont Coalition for Vaccine Choice
  • Dr. F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP, Former Assistant Clinical Director, Charles V. Chaplin Hospital (Infectious Disease; Former Pediatric Director, Child Development Study Brown University, Former Director of Pediatrics, Woonsocket Hospital – via Phone
  • Dr. William Warnock, N.D., Champlain Center for Natural Medicine, Shelburne
  • Dr. Gabriel Archdeacon, N.D., Tree of Life Medicine, Montpelier

May 2015:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testimony to the Vermont House

Nicole Matten Testimony to the Vermont House

The Vermont House held a Public hearing (May 2015) for concerned citizens. Employees of UVMMC were sent an email from Stephen Leffler of UVMMC encouraging employees to speak in support of repealing people’s rights.

  • Watch Vermont House Public Hearing here.
  • Watch Vermont House Floor Debate here: (Part 1 and Part 2).
  • Audio files: https://www.healthchoicevt.com/audio-files-of-vt-2015-testimony/

Note that the 2015 recordings in house healthcare committee will reflect that members of the House Healthcare Committee to their credit voted to table the issue for one year. The bill went to a floor vote despite this vote.

We then had to call a public hearing and provide testimony at the Department of Health, through Rulemaking.- Our public comment to health department in response to proposed rules, 2015:

Then we had to go to the “LCAR” the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, to voice our concerns (link to our testimony to Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, 2016 here)

In 2019 the Vermont Health Commissioner said he supported removing the remaining parent religious vaccine exemption, making vaccinations compulsory for all school-children (public, private and colleges). We held “Preserve your health rights workshops” (right up until covid19, we had full rooms weekly), and wrote legislation.

The industry introduced bad bills to enable minors to consent to shots, and to remove the religious exemption. We countered by getting good legislation introduced to require informed consent before vaccines are administered, making it medical malpractice for failure to warn parent/patient of the ingredients and side effects listed in package insert, and requiring the health department to inform the legislature on an annual basis of adverse effects which have been reported by Vermonters to VAERS. None moved.

In 2023 we introduced five great bills and our volunteers advocated at statehouse. These bills failed to move.

In 2024, we successfully defeated a bill sponsored by Ginny Lyons in the Senate, that would allow doctors to coerce minors to vaccination behind parent’s backs.