Unvaccinated students race to meet new requirements

New York has eliminated the religious exemption to vaccine requirements for kids in school.

With the countdown to class officially on, unvaccinated students will have up to 14 days once the school year starts to show they've had the first dose of each required immunization and 30 days to show a schedule of the remainder.

"There's nothing in Judaism that says we shouldn't vaccinate," said Rabbi Jay Weinstein. "In fact, we should take care of our bodies, they're our sanctuaries."

Dr. Kerry Fierstein, CEO of Allied Physicians Group oversees 30 locations in New York. She says the weeks leading up to school are always busy but the office in Rockland County where a state of emergency was declared earlier this year because of the number of measles cases has seen an uptick in appointments.

"This year we're seeing more children come in this time of year for vaccinations especially in our practices who have seen children who weren't fully vaccinated," said Dr. Fierstein.

But there are so-called anti-vaccers who disagree with the legislation, and they're fighting to reinstate the exemption. People we spoke to say it's a matter of safety where personal beliefs should be set aside.

"I think we've been doing vaccines since I can remember," said one woman. "I'm sixty-one. My children had them. They're good. Why not?"

The law is being challenged in the Supreme Court. If it is not overturned, more than 25,000 families will be impacted this school year.