HB 22-1201

House Bill 22-1201, which has been signed into law in Colorado, allows individuals to opt out of required immunizations if the vaccine hasn't received full FDA approval or is only under emergency use authorization. It also permits exemptions if the manufacturer isn’t liable for any harm caused by the vaccine or if key safety data comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated groups was not available when the vaccine was approved. The Department of Public Health and Environment must post information about these exemption criteria, potential side effects, and risks on their website. This bill affects anyone who needs to get a required immunization for any reason, such as school or work requirements. Since it has been signed into law, it is now enforceable in Colorado.

Official Summary

The bill allows individuals who are required to receive an immunization for any purpose to claim an exemption from the requirement if the: Immunization has not been approved by the federal food and drug administration (FDA); Immunization has only received emergency use authorization; Immunization manufacturer is not liable for injury or death caused by the immunization; or Pivotal clinical trial the FDA relied on to approve the immunization did not evaluate the immunization's safety, for at least one year after the immunization was first administered, against a control group. The bill requires the department of public health and environment to post on its website: The criteria that must be met for an individual to claim an exemption from an immunization requirement; and For each immunization required: The injuries or diseases caused by the immunization and the rate at which each injury or disease occurs; and Whether the risk of permanent disability or death from the required immunization has been proven to be less than the risk of permanent disability or death from the infection or disease the immunization is intended to prevent.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)