California moves toward implementing one of the nation's most stringent vaccine laws
California has taken a bold step in enforcing strict vaccine mandates, becoming an outlier among US states. The Golden State's SB-277, passed in 2015, eliminated nonmedical exemptions for school vaccines, making it one of the strictest vaccine laws in the country [1].
However, the landscape across the nation is diverse, with many states allowing religious and/or philosophical exemptions for school vaccine requirements. Some states have even recently loosened their immunization requirements or expanded exemptions [2].
For instance, Mississippi began recognizing religious exemptions for the first time in July 2023, West Virginia issued an executive order for religious exemptions (though it has not been enforced), and Idaho removed most school immunization requirements altogether in April 2025 [2]. This contrasts sharply with California's approach.
The current trend shows a mix of loosening and tightening of immunization requirements rather than widespread adoption of very strict mandates like California's SB-277. In fact, no other states have passed laws as strict as California's recently, and many are either maintaining or loosening exemptions rather than tightening them [2][1].
This mixed landscape is further reflected in vaccination rates, with many states seeing declines in vaccination coverage. Over three-quarters of states have MMR rates below the 95% herd immunity target in 2024-2025 [1].
If the bill becomes law, California schools would be brought up to the level of vaccination needed for "herd immunity". However, the new law does not provide details on how it will affect specific platforms or their workers in the gig economy, such as ridesharing drivers [1].
Meanwhile, the legislative committee voted YES on SB-277, with representatives Bonilla, Bonta, Chiu, Gomez, Gonzalez, Roger Hernández, Nazarian, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Santiago, Thurmond, and Wood in favour. On the other hand, the committee voted NO on SB-277 with Chávez, Lackey, Maienschein, Patterson, Steinorth, and Waldron against [1].
The California Governor has also signed a law making it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, while the California Supreme Court has previously clarified the exempt "administrative" employee definition in the case Harris v The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, No. S156555, Supreme Court of California (December 29, 2011) [1].
In addition, a measles outbreak at Disneyland sickened more than 100 in the U.S. and Mexico in early 2015, highlighting the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of infectious diseases [1].
In summary, California remains a leader in strict vaccine mandates, but other states maintain religious and/or philosophical exemptions or have relaxed policies, reducing the likelihood of widespread adoption of California-like strict laws in the near term. The current landscape is mixed, with some states easing restrictions, signaling a divergence rather than convergence in vaccine exemption policies across the US.
| State | Nonmedical Exemptions Status (2025) | Notes | |------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | California | No nonmedical exemptions for school vaccines | Enacted SB-277, strict mandate | | Mississippi | Religious exemptions recognized since July 2023 | Recent loosening of vaccine exemption policy | | West Virginia | Executive order for religious exemptions (not enforced as of June 2025) | Board of Education ignoring order | | Idaho | Removed most school immunization requirements | Very permissive approach | | Most other states| Allow religious/philosophical exemptions, varying by state | Majority have some form of nonmedical exemptions |
[1] Source: [Link to the source] [2] Source: [Link to the source]
- Science advocates might be disheartened to see that while California upholds strict vaccine mandates in line with health-and-wellness recommendations, other states are less stringent, offering religious and/or philosophical exemptions or even loosening their requirements.
- Despite California's strong stance on science-backed health-and-wellness regulations like SB-277, the variegated landscape across the nation, with its diverse immunization requirements and exemptions, raises questions about the feasibility of widespread adoption of such stringent laws.
