Michigan Requires Parents Seeking Vaccine Waivers to Complete Online Pro-Vax Course
Parents in Michigan must finish a state-run online module before the health department can approve a non-medical vaccine exemption for their child.
Michigan now obliges parents who want a non-medical vaccine waiver to complete an online education course created by Michael Rubyan and about forty public-health nurses. The module opens with a pre-assessment that asks participants to rate their agreement with three statements on vaccine safety, importance, and effectiveness, then repeats the questions after the content, making the test a measure of belief rather than comprehension.
No option exists to refuse answering, and the only privacy guidance offered is the county health agency’s generic HIPAA notice, which does not address the attitudinal data collected. Legal analysts point out that the rule, added in 2014 under MDHHS regulation R 325.176(12), goes beyond the original 1978 law (MCL 333.9215(2)) that merely requires a written statement to the school. Attempts to codify the education requirement in statute have failed, and a 2025 bill (House Bill 4552) seeking to limit the department’s authority remains stalled. Critics, including Suzanne Waltman of Michigan for Vaccine Choice and medical director Juan Marquez, argue the policy imposes compelled speech without clear privacy safeguards or a genuine in-person alternative.
Why it matters
The policy forces parents to disclose vaccine opinions to the state, raising privacy and constitutional concerns over a statutory right.
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