On December 7th, 2023, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Pacific in HUB 379 and via Zoom, the UCR School of Public Policy Seminar Series is hosting Katie Attwell, an associate professor at University of Western Australia, for a seminar on “America’s New Vaccine Wars,” a new release book focusing on recent efforts to eliminate nonmedical exemptions to school and daycare vaccine mandates in California.

Andrew Shannon, a public policy student said, “I am excited to learn about the implication vaccination policy has on state and national politics.”

“America's New Vaccine Wars” is grounded in a case study of California's efforts to exclude unvaccinated children from school and daycare following the Disneyland Measles Outbreak of 2014. It uses original interviews with key policy-makers and activists to explain the development and execution of California's new vaccination policies. 

The seminar offers an opportunity for doctors, parents, and public health policy experts to enhance their understanding of downstream implications for policymaking and politics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor of Public Policy Richard Carpiano said, "Childhood vaccinations and the state policies to ensure children receive them have been a hallmark success of public health for preventing suffering and death, helping to ensure that communities have sufficient levels of vaccination coverage to minimize the spread of many harmful diseases and even protect those who are unable to be vaccinated due to age or other reasons. Despite these successes and the overall safety of these vaccines, with the arrival of the 21st Century, we have witnessed significant challenges to these policies launched by anti-vaccine groups and even elected officials, often based on non-scientific claims and increased political polarization, resulting in declines in child vaccination rates and, in some states, stricter policies as a response. California is an important case study in the evolution of this complex public policy matter, which currently presents new challenges for public health regarding providing child vaccinations as well as other public health efforts to effectively respond to and/or prevent disease outbreaks and protect children and adults. Dr. Attwell has been intensively studying this issue and, during her talk, was able to provide a terrific overview of what is a very difficult situation to explain in such a clear, coherent manner as she did."

This hybrid event is free and open to the public. Registration for the in-person event is available via https://spp-vaccine-wars.eventbrite.com/. Registration for the Zoom Webinar is available via https://bit.ly/vaccine-wars.

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The UCR School of Public Policy Seminar Series brings policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to UCR to talk about today’s pressing societal challenges. Learn more by visiting spp.ucr.edu/events.