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VIDEO: NM's New Vaccine Law Impacts Children's Health + How to Opt Out + Important New Supreme Court Ruling

  • Writer: Sarah Smith
    Sarah Smith
  • Dec 10, 2025
  • 3 min read

Dear New Mexicans,

Governor Lujan Grisham and the legislature enacted a new vaccine law during the Special Session in October.  The new law impacts children and also has concerning implications for potential future changes.


PLEASE SHARE this information with parents and grandparents in NM, so they will be informed on their rights to vaccine exemptions.

 

Scroll below for information about:  

  • 11-MINUTE VIDEO: NM's new vaccine law, it's potential impacts on children, and how to opt out

  • NM Department of Health's recent decision to go against Federal vaccine guidance regarding the Hepatitis B vaccine for infants

  • Recent Supreme Court ruling that may pave the way for the protection of religious exemptions nationally


11-Minute Video on NM's New Vaccine Law, Potential Impacts on Children's Health, and How to Opt Out

How Parents Can Opt-Out

Even though the new law now mandates vaccinations for preK kids (and the vaccine mandates for school-age kids are still in effect), exemptions are still allowed by state statute. We have guidance for obtaining vaccine exemptions here: 


NM Dept of Health Rejects New Guidance from Federal ACIP Regarding Hepatitis B Vaccines for Newborns

Under Robert F Kennedy Jr, the Federal Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently removed the universal recommendation for newborns to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth. 


Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease which women are screened for during pregnancy, so there is no need to universally give this vaccine to all newborns. According to Physicians for Informed Consent, the Hepatitis B vaccine may "cause an adverse event leading to permanent injury 180 times more often than hepatitis B can be fatal for U.S. children at normal risk of exposure." 


Under NM's new vaccine law, the Department of Health is no longer relying on the Federal ACIP to determine NM's vaccination recommendations and requirements.  Thus, even though the ACIP has removed the recommendation for Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, the NM Department of Health has refused to make this change and is continuing to recommend the vaccine for all newborns. 

Supreme Court Ruling May Protect Religious Exemptions from Vaccination Nationally

It is concerning that, under NM's new vaccine law, the Department of Health will now be relying on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for it's vaccine policy recommendations. 


The AAP is advocating for the removal of religious exemptions to vaccination, so we are concerned that the NM legislature may try to do away with religious exemptions. 

One piece of good news is that, this week, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision against a group of Amish parents and school leaders who challenged the state of New York’s vaccine mandates for schools, ruling that the appeals court must reconsider the case.


According to Children's Health Defense, "This ruling is a win for health and religious freedom advocates — one that could have implications for other states that don’t allow religious exemptions from school vaccine mandates,... [this] decision is 'checkmate' for states that refuse to accept religious exemptions." 




We will continue to watch closely and be ready to sound the alarm for changes to vaccine laws proposed in the upcoming NM legislative session which starts January 20th.  

 

Please SHARE to empower parents to protect their children!

 

Donations to support our work are gratefully accepted here: 

 

Standing with you for children's health in New Mexico,

Sarah, Karen, and Melanie

New Mexico Freedoms Alliance

National Coalition for Health Integrity

 
 
 

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