The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from parents challenging New York’s repeal of religious exemptions to school vaccine mandates. In an order released Monday morning, the nation’s high court declined to hear arguments in the case of F.F., as parent of Y.F. v. New York , which centers on a lawsuit challenging a 2019 law repealing religious exemptions for vaccines. The denial of certiorari lets stand a lower court decision that concluded that the parents’ arguments lacked merit. In June 2019, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill removing religious exemptions for vaccines in schoolchildren. Under the law, children may not attend school or day care in New York without certification from a healthcare provider that the child has received all mandated vaccinations. The law was passed amid a Measles outbreak impacting dozens of states. While providing medical exemptions, the law no longer allows exemptions for students whose parents or guardians hold genuine religious beliefs that do not permit the child to receive the vaccinations. "The science is crystal clear: Vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to keep our children safe," Cuomo said after signing the bill. "While I understand and respect freedom of […]
