Banning Unvaccinated Kids from Public Places Could Be Effective, to a Point

As the number of measles cases in its border continues to climb, Rockland County is barring unvaccinated minors from visiting public places. The move has faced some scattered resistance from parents who are opposed to vaccines, and some have even said the order has strengthened their skepticism of vaccines and the government itself.

Banning unvaccinated children outright from public spaces—even if that ban won't be fully enforced—may be the first of its kind, but plenty of officials have tried ways to put pressure on resistant parents, like removing religious exemptions from rules around vaccines. Dr. Robert Field, who researches health management and policy at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, says that the ban could be the nudge some parents need to get off the fence and get their kids a shot.

"Hardcore vaccine refusers, they're not going to listen to anything," Field told WNYC's Jami Floyd. "I think that the effectiveness ... is more as a bully pulpit, telling the public how serious the public health officials think it is."

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