Supreme Court Revisits New York’s Ban on Religious Vaccine Exemptions as National Guidance Shifts

The U.S. Supreme Court has instructed a federal appeals court to take a new look at New York’s prohibition on religious exemptions for school vaccine requirements, reopening a debate that has shaped public health policy in the state for years.

New York eliminated religious exemptions in 2019 following a widespread measles outbreak concentrated in Brooklyn and Rockland County. State officials argued at the time that clusters of unvaccinated students created conditions where preventable diseases could spread quickly, especially in schools where exemption rates were high. Since the law changed, childhood vaccination rates for measles have risen, though compliance has varied across districts and private schools.

The renewed legal review stems from a lawsuit brought by several Amish families and schools in the Rochester area, who contended that New York’s requirements interfered with their ability to raise their children in accordance with their religious practices. Lower courts previously sided with the state, but the Supreme Court’s order means those rulings will now be reconsidered through the lens of a more recent decision involving religious objections in public education.

New York is one of a handful of states that do not allow religious or personal-belief exemptions from school immunization rules. Public health officials have defended the policy as an important tool for maintaining high vaccination coverage and preventing outbreaks, especially of highly contagious viruses like measles, which require very high community immunization rates to prevent spread.

The reopening of the case arrives at a moment when national vaccination policy is also shifting. Earlier this month, federal health advisers updated their guidance on the Hepatitis B vaccine, recommending broader and more consistent immunization strategies for adults in order to curb rising infection rates. The change has renewed discussion about how vaccine guidelines are set and how states implement them — particularly in places like New York, where immunization policy has been closely tied to both public health outcomes and legal challenges.

As the Second Circuit prepares to reexamine the case, the court is expected to weigh New York’s long-standing authority to enact public health protections against claims that the state’s approach places undue burdens on religious communities. The Supreme Court did not mandate a specific outcome, but its directive signals that the legal landscape surrounding vaccine policy and religious rights continues to evolve.

The ruling could have implications not only for school vaccination requirements, but also for how states respond to future changes in national vaccine recommendations — including those, like the updated Hepatitis B guidance, aimed at addressing emerging public health concerns.