Ensuring access to vaccines and immunizations is critical to maintaining public health in New Hampshire. In recent years, there have been numerous attacks on the state's long standing immunization schedule, proving that supporting the system is more critical than ever.
Why It Matters
Vaccines help people create protective antibodies to fight off infections. A vaccinated population helps reduce the spread of preventable diseases throughout the community. In New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Vaccine Association works to improve access to childhood vaccines while lowering health care costs.
Our Impact
In 2022, New Futures helped to defeat or weaken 41 out of 43 bills that, if passed, would have undermined New Hampshire's public health infrastructure like never before. In the years since, New Futures has continued to defend the public health infrastructure, including ensuring that the vaccine schedule remains in the hands of the Vaccine Board, not lawmakers.
During the 2026 Legislative Session, New Futures continued to work to defeat or weaken a number of bills that would have changed immunization requirements. These bills included:
- House Bill 1811, which would have repealed all childhood immunization requirements for school and child care attendance in New Hampshire;
- House Bill 1616, which would have banned state agencies and local governments from advertising vaccines or spending money on vaccine education;
- House Bill 1719, which would have removed Hepatitis B from the list of vaccines required for children to attend school or child care;
- House Bill 1449, which would have banned vaccine clinics from operating at schools during school hours and would have required a parent or guardian to be physically present (which would have been a challenge for working parents);
- House Bill 1584, which would have required the Department of Health and Human Services to prominently display notice that exemptions are available under New Hampshire law on all vaccine-related communications and materials;
- and House Bill 524, which would have eliminated the central fund that buys vaccines at a discount and offers them at no cost to New Hampshire children.
If they had passed as originally proposed, these bills could have led to decreased immunization rates among New Hampshire children, increasing their risk of contracting and spreading certain preventable diseases. Luckily, HB 1811, HB 1719, and HB 1449 were defeated, HB 1616 was laid on the table, and HB 1584 and HB 524 were amended, reducing their potential negative effects.
