The bill HB2474 proposes to amend Arizona's school immunization requirements by stating that immunizations authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are not mandatory for school attendance. This change builds upon existing law, which already exempts certain vaccines, specifically for human papillomavirus and COVID-19, from being required for school attendance. The new language explicitly includes any immunization that has received FDA emergency use authorization, thereby expanding the list of vaccines that are not required.

The bill's intent is to clarify that any vaccine under emergency use authorization is not a prerequisite for school enrollment, which could impact public health policy and vaccination rates among school-aged children. The Governor vetoed the bill, expressing concerns that it could undermine public trust in FDA-approved vaccines, emphasizing the importance of vaccinations for the health and wellness of the community.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-672
House Engrossed Version: 36-672