New York state's requirement that all public school children be vaccinated does not violate the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court held Wednesday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed that the requirement, which allows for certain medical and religious exemptions, does not violate the rights of parents under the First and Ninth Amendments, nor violates the guarantees of equal protection and due process.

The circuit also held as constitutional a state regulation allowing officials to temporarily exclude students who are exempted from the vaccination requirement when there is an outbreak of any disease preventable by vaccination.