© 2025 WEMU
Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
School Closing Information

Lawsuit Challenges Vaccine Counseling Requirement

Vaccine
Wikipedia Media Commons
/
wikipedia.org

A legal challenge has been filed against a state rule that requires counseling for parents who have a religious objection to vaccinating their children.  

For two years, Michigan has required parents who have a religious objection to vaccinating their school-aged children to show up at their local health department for a counseling session on the benefits of immunizations.  Kate Oliveri is an attorney with Thomas More Law Center, which filed the legal challenge.  She says the state should not take sides.  

“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provides local health departments with a document to assist in this religious inquisition.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services says the policy has resulted in fewer families opting out of vaccinating their children against measles and other infectious diseases. 

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network.  Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

Rick Pluta is the managing editor for the Michigan Public Radio Network.
Related Content