Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XII Chapter 76
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 76, § 15 (2026)

Vaccination and immunization

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 15. No child shall, except as hereinafter provided, be admitted to school except upon presentation of a physician's certificate that the child has been successfully immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and poliomyelitis and such other communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time by the department of public health.

A child shall be admitted to school upon certification by a physician that he has personally examined such child and that in his opinion the physical condition of the child is such that his health would be endangered by such vaccination or by any of such immunizations. Such certification shall be submitted at the beginning of each school year to the physician in charge of the school health program. If the physician in charge of the school health program does not agree with the opinion of the child's physician, the matter shall be referred to the department of public health, whose decision will be final.

In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no child whose parent or guardian states in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs shall be required to present said physician's certificate in order to be admitted to school.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1929–2025 · leading case: Blixt v. Blixt, 774 N.E.2d 1052 (Mass. 2002).
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Blixt v. Blixt, 774 N.E.2d 1052 (Mass. 2002). “, G. L. c. 76, § 15 (compulsory child vaccination law).”
Pielech v. Massasoit Greyhound, Inc., 423 Mass. 534 (Mass. 1996). · cites it 2× “), differs from that of G. L. c. 76, § 15, which was held to be unconstitutional in Dalli .”
City of Worcester v. Labor Relations Comm'n, 438 Mass. 177 (Mass. 2002). “76, §§ 6-11), certificates of vaccination (G. L. c. 76, § 15), and unlawful child labor (G.”
Dalli v. Bd. of Educ., 267 N.E.2d 219 (Mass. 1971). · cites it 3× “The bill alleged that the plaintiff was opposed to the vaccination of her child as a prerequisite to the child’s entry into school in accordance with G. L. c. 76, § 15, as appearing in St. 1967, c.”
Care & Prot. of Eve. (Mass. 2025). · cites it 4× “See G. L. c. 76, § 15. They also point to inconsistent treatment by the department, which has not vaccinated any of their three other children, who were previously removed from their care and placed in the now permanent custody of the department.”
Commonwealth v. Green, 168 N.E. 101 (Mass. 1929). “G. L. c. 76, § 15, provides that an unvaccinated child shall not be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a physician’s certificate.”
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