A Maine law passed in 2019 removing philosophical or religious exemptions for vaccinations — not including the COVID-19 vaccine — is in effect as of Wednesday, September 1.
Bill LD 798, signed by Gov. Janet Mills in May 2019, requires vaccinations for students at public and private schools and universities, including nursery school, unless they have a medical exemption. Health care facility employees are also subject to the law.
At the time it was passed, Maine had one of the highest rates of non-medical vaccine opt-outs in the nation, which supporters cited as the motivation behind the controversial bill.
According to News Center Maine, required immunizations for Pre-K-12 students include: the DTaP vaccine, to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; the polio vaccine; the MMR vaccine, to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella; and the varicella vaccine. Required immunizations for students in grades 7 through 12 also include the MCV4 vaccine, to protect against meningococcal disease.