NC GOP bill would expand vaccination exemptions as measles cases rise nationwide
A group of Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing a bill to expand vaccination exemptions, allowing parents to opt their children out of immunizations for “conscientious objection” reasons. The proposal comes amid a rising number of measles cases nationwide.
Currently, students in North Carolina must be vaccinated against specific diseases, with exemptions for medical or religious reasons.
House Bill 380 — filed by Republican Reps. Jonathan Almond, Mitchell Setzer, Jennifer Balkcom and Neal Jackson — would expand exemptions to include their parents’ conscientious objections, described as “reasons of conscience that are contrary to the immunization requirements.”
The bill has not received a hearing yet and it’s unclear whether it has backing to pass.
To qualify, parents or guardians would need to submit a written statement explaining their objection, which is already required for religious beliefs.
Under the bill, schools, child care facilities, colleges, and universities would still be required to file annual immunization reports. These reports would now also include the number of students claiming conscientious objection exemptions, in addition to those exempted for medical or religious reasons.
The new exemption would take effect for K-12 public schools in the 2026-2027 school year and for colleges and universities in the same academic year.
The News & Observer reached out to the primary sponsors of the legislation but did not receive a response Thursday.
Fifteen states allow for vaccine exemptions for personal reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most states allow religious objections to vaccines, as North Carolina does.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of March 6, there have been 222 measles cases reported in 2025 across 12 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. The majority of these cases (94%) were in unvaccinated individuals, with nearly 79% in people under the age of 19. There have been three outbreaks reported in 2025, with 93% of cases (207 out of 222) tied to outbreaks, according to the CDC.
Of the reported cases, 198 were in Texas, and 10 were in New Mexico. One death was reported in each state. The CDC notes that two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing the disease.
No measles cases have been reported in North Carolina this year, although there was one travel-related case in 2024. Nationwide, 16 measles outbreaks were reported in 2024, and 69% of the cases (198 out of 285) were associated with outbreaks, according to the CDC.
