In recent years, school vaccination policies have become a hot topic across the nation. Many of the 370-plus vaccine-related bills introduced across 44 states as of May 9, 2025, have focused on vaccination consent for minors, and, during the 2023-2024 school year, about 92.7% of kindergarteners were vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella. That marked a decline from the 95% vaccination rate seen a decade earlier.
In the ongoing debate over school vaccination policies, Utah Rep. Stephanie Gricius (R) and Connecticut Rep. Josh Elliott (D) highlight the complex considerations lawmakers face in this installment of “State of Play,” a bipartisan video series created by A Starting Point and NCSL.
Gricius emphasizes a holistic approach to health.
"You can't look specifically at vaccines when evaluating health care policy for kids,” she says. “You have to look at overall health outcomes, including chronic and infectious diseases." She advocates for parental rights, noting that Utah offers various exemptions because "we believe that parents are in the driver's seat."
Elliott, meanwhile, stresses the importance of listening to the scientific community.
"We want to fix the problem before it gets significantly worse," he says, referring to the need for high vaccination rates to ensure community immunity. Elliott also acknowledges the balance between public health and personal autonomy. "There's the freedom to do what you want with your body, but also the freedom to be in a space free from disease," he says.
Watch the full video now.