Create a vaccine education and misinformation prevention program in Minnesota public schools.

 

The goal of this bill is to teach students accurate, science-based information about vaccines and how to recognize false

health information online. By adding a short unit on vaccine education and misinformation to school health or science

classes, students will learn how vaccines work and how to think critically about what they see on social media.

 

In recent years, false information about vaccines has caused confusion and lowered vaccination rates, leading to

preventable illnesses. Many teens get their news from social media, where misinformation spreads quickly. Teaching

students the facts about vaccines and how to check if a source is reliable will help them make safe health choices and

protect their communities.

 

1. Vaccine education shall be defined as teaching how vaccines work, why they are important, and how they protect people

from disease.

2. Health misinformation shall be defined as false or misleading claims about health topics that are not supported by

science.

3. Digital literacy shall be defined as being able to find, check, and understand information online.

4. Short unit shall be defined as a period of instruction lasting approximately one week of regular classes (5 class

periods).

 

 

The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education will work together to create free lesson

materials for schools. Funding can come from existing public health education budgets or from grants and partnerships

with nonprofit health organizations. No new taxes will be needed.

 

All public schools in Minnesota with grades 7-12 must include the vaccine education and misinformation prevention unit

in their health or science classes by the 2026-2027 school year. Schools that do not comply will have 10% of their state

health grant funding withheld for the following school year.

 

This bill will take effect on July 1, 2026.