It’s both astonishing—and disturbing—that school officials are dealing with a small but growing number of parents who do not want their children protected against infectious diseases.

In Florida, the number of parents seeking a religious exemption to the state mandate on immunizations has more than quadrupled over the past decade. Arkansas has seen exemptions double in recent years. This summer, dozens of parents rallied outside the New York state capitol this summer to demand the right to opt out of vaccinations for religious reasons.

Local school officials always have had some parents who fail to immunize their children. Those with religious objections seek an exemption to the law (allowed in 28 states) or turn to home schooling. But most parents simply are unaware of the mandate, are unable to take time off work to visit the doctor, or don’t take the requirement seriously.

For those latter parents, school officials have state laws to help them. Last November, for example, school officials in Prince George’s County cracked down by forcing the parents of 2,000 children to show up at the county courthouse to “get their children vaccinated on the spot or prove they’ve already had the shots” or “risk up to 10 days in jail,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.

But what about this new phenomenon: The parent who claims a religious opposition to vaccines—but really doesn’t?

It’s happening more and more, AP reports. “The real reason may be skepticism of the shots or concern they can cause other illnesses. Some of these parents say they are being forced to lie because of the way the vaccination laws are written.”

If you follow the issue, you know why some parents—only a few thousand, thank goodness, are taking this route. The Internet has spread a lot of disinformation and scary rhetoric about vaccines as the cause of the growing autistic population, and despite government studies showing no evidence of a link, the controversial debate has done its damage.

So what should school boards do? As you’ve quite enough on your plate, I’m not going to make any suggestions. I’ll settle for simply reminding you to be prepared to hear about an issue arising in your schools. Hopefully your school nurses and principals are well informed—and ready to reach out to concerned parents.

Just keep in mind something that Dr. Genon Wicina, a pediatrician, told Florida’s Press Journal newspaper: “These diseases are still around. They’re worldwide, and they’re not eradicated. We live in a global world, with people coming into our area from all over. . . . As more and more people chose not to get immuniations, that puts everyone at risk.”

Del Stover, Senior Editor