NY S03958 mandates that all children and staff enrolled in overnight camps, summer day camps, or traveling summer day camps be vaccinated against a specified list of diseases as defined in New York Public Health Law section 2164 and determined by the Commissioner of Health. Camp operators must maintain vaccination records, proof of immunity, or valid medical exemptions for all attendees, with records retained for sixty days after the camp season concludes. The bill allows children currently undergoing a vaccine series to attend camp while maintaining documentation of their immunization status.
Why It Matters to MAHA
MAHA opposes this bill because it eliminates parental choice and patient autonomy by mandating vaccination as a condition of camp enrollment without preserving meaningful exemption pathways or alternatives. The bill restricts health freedom by removing the ability of parents to make individualized medical decisions for their children based on their own family health circumstances and medical history. Rather than promoting transparency about vaccine safety data and adverse event reporting, this legislation uses regulatory force to override parental decision-making authority. The requirement strips away the principle that informed consent should precede medical interventions, replacing it with a one-size-fits-all government mandate that does not account for natural immunity, prior infection, or individual medical contraindications.