A federal appeals court kept New York’s no-religious-exemption vaccine rule for students intact, forcing Amish families to choose between their faith and school access.
Story Snapshot
- A June 2019 law left only medical exemptions for school vaccines in New York.
- Amish parents and schools sued, saying their faith bars vaccination.
- The Second Circuit upheld the mandate again in 2026 after a Supreme Court remand.
- Families must vaccinate for school or seek homeschooling and private options.
What New York’s Law Requires Today
New York requires children in public, private, and religious schools, plus day care, to get the set of required vaccines unless a doctor grants a valid medical exemption. State guidance says there are no nonmedical exemptions, which includes religious objections. Officials tightened the rule on June 13, 2019, after disease outbreaks, and told families with prior religious waivers to begin shots right away to stay enrolled.
The state also explains that the rule is tied to school attendance. It does not force every child in New York to vaccinate. But children who attend school without a medical exemption must meet the schedule or they cannot remain in class. That design is how the state enforces compliance and claims it protects other students from preventable disease spread in close settings.
Inside the Amish Legal Fight
Amish parents and Amish community schools sued the state, arguing that their faith teaches against vaccination and that the repeal of religious exemptions burdens their religious practice. The case, Miller v. McDonald, centers on New York’s Public Health Law Section 2164, which since 2019 recognizes only medical exemptions for students in any school type. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit described that core dispute and the parties involved.
The United States Supreme Court sent the case back to the appeals court in late 2025 for another look, signaling fresh interest in how parental rights and free exercise claims are weighed. After that review, the Second Circuit again upheld New York’s school vaccination rule in 2026. Reporting on the ruling noted the court said the mandate did not violate religious freedom, keeping the no-religious-exemption policy in place statewide.
How the Courts and the State Frame the Stakes
State materials portray the mandate as neutral and broadly applied. Officials say it covers every school setting and makes a single carve-out for medical risk. Bloomberg Law summarized the position that the law does not target religious groups and is neutral on its face. A prior New York appellate decision also emphasized the public health goal and said the requirement does not prevent religious exercise, a view that still guides much of the legal defense.
New York’s Amish community (about 25,000 people) is in a legal fight over the state’s school vaccine mandate, which no longer allows religious exemptions. The case, involving Amish schools that have been fined, is heading back to the Supreme Court after the 2nd Circuit again… pic.twitter.com/6Ybw4v5rw1
— Maga Conservative Dr Ken Dabb (@DabbKen) August 28, 2026
Supporters of the rule point to why it was enacted. The 2019 repeal followed measles outbreaks, including clusters in close-knit religious communities. Public health studies linked low local immunization rates to faster spread. Those findings set the stage for lawmakers to end nonmedical exemptions, moving New York into a small group of states with the strictest school vaccine entry rules.
Why This Matters Beyond One Community
This fight taps shared worries across the spectrum. Many see a government that sets rules, levies fines, and leaves little room for conscience. Others see a system that protects kids from known disease risk and treats every family the same. Both feelings reflect a deeper loss of trust. People fear distant officials will decide local life, and that ordinary families will have to pay the cost in money, freedom, or both.
What Families Can Do Now
Families who reject vaccination on religious grounds have limited options under current New York law. They can seek a valid medical exemption from a licensed provider, if one applies. They can homeschool, which the school-entry law does not reach, or move to private education settings that do not require state school attendance. But any student who attends a New York school must meet vaccine requirements unless a medical reason is documented.
What to Watch Next
Watch for any new petitions to the United States Supreme Court and for bills in Albany that could restore a religious exemption. A 2025-2026 wave of filings and amicus briefs shows the issue is not settled in the court of public opinion. If lawmakers reopen the exemption, schools will need clear rules to avoid confusion. If the courts keep the status quo, expect more families to homeschool or relocate to states with broader exemptions.
Sources:
news.bloomberglaw.com, nypost.com, supremecourt.gov, timesunion.com, anabaptistworld.org, christianpost.com, firstliberty.org, thenewamerican.com, apnews.com, edweek.org, nytimes.com, washingtontimes.com, nysenate.gov
