LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — As Washington pulls back on certain childhood vaccines, Michigan Democrats are pushing forward with new state rules, insisting parents need more “guidance” amid federal “confusion.”
The legislation comes as federal health policy shifts under U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose moves—including rolling back the hepatitis B shot for newborns—have alarmed Michigan health officials. Democratic lawmakers say the state must reinforce its own immunization authority to counter what they describe as “chaos and distrust” coming from Washington.
Most Michigan school buildings fall below the 95% vaccination rate used as the herd-immunity standard, prompting Democrats to require schools and child-care centers to post anonymized immunization data publicly and send reports directly to parents beginning in 2028.
Not everyone is convinced. Michigan for Vaccine Choice calls the legislation an attempt to “nullify” religious and philosophical exemptions, while some school leaders question whether posting the data actually helps families make decisions.
Vaccination waivers, meanwhile, have climbed to their highest level in a decade—6.2%.
House Republicans have not signed onto the plan, and the legislation’s path forward remains uncertain.