AUSTIN, Texas (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Parents in Texas can access a downloadable form to exempt their children from mandatory vaccines in public schools, thanks to the enactment of House Bill 1586 by the Texas House of Representatives.
Previously, parents had to wait for the Texas Department of State Health Services to mail the form to them.
The form requires notarization, and once notarized, the child’s parent, mother or legal guardian can present it at the school for enrollment.
The same form can be used for two years before a new one must be completed.
This new approach to handling vaccine exemptions comes as the state health agency released a document listing diseases preventable by vaccination, vaccine effectiveness, and potential side effects.
While the passage of House Bill 1586 does not change the childhood vaccination schedule, it could affect vaccination rates in Texas public schools. The CDC has reported that Texas had the highest number of kindergartners without full measles vaccination in the 2024-2025 school year, totaling 25,000 students.
Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, explained how the spread of infections within schools can affect a community.
“There are children in crowded spaces in schools who share everything from crayons to jump ropes and infections, and then they get sick. Therefore, we have sick children spreading their infections the way they share crayons in their community,” Kressly said. Speaking about vaccines, she added: “It is an investment in people’s health, and keeping patients and the population healthy is the best thing for everyone.”
House Bill 1586 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June and went into effect on Monday.
