UW-Madison has created a new vaccine disclosure policy after a measles case was confirmed in a student earlier this month shortly after another case was confirmed in Waukesha.
Both cases, which occurred as a result of international travel, have raised alarms in local communities and universities as the United States has seen a resurgence of a virus that was largely eradicated until recently, leading to renewed discussions around the MMR vaccine.
“In recent months, there have been ongoing discussions about MMR vaccination and disclosure,” UW system spokesperson Mark Pitsch said.
The edict will require students to disclose their vaccination status to register for classes for the MMR vaccine, the Tdap vaccine, the chicken pox vaccine, the Meningococcal vaccine and the Hepatitis B vaccine.
The policy, which is the only one of its kind for Wisconsin public universities, would require students to document their immunity status with the University’s Health Services, or disclose that they are not vaccinated.
While the University claims it is necessary to “support public health and mitigate risk from vaccine-preventable diseases”, some people have raised legal and privacy related concerns. (RELATED: Wisconsin Assembly Blocks Massive 1,700% Livestock Fee Hike)
The vaccine disclosure policy has the potential to reignite controversies over university vaccine and vaccine disclosure mandates that occurred nationwide during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Universities across the country required proof of Covid-19 vaccination in order for students to register for classes, with some facing allegations that they did not create sufficient carveouts for religious liberty.
Some universities, such as the University of Colorado Anschutz have been forced to pay out settlements for violating students religious liberty as a result of the policies. (RELATED: Madison High School Drag Show Invites Controversy and Draws Outrage)
