Religious or philosophical exemptions from immunization requirements at schools

[Ada Lovelace]

This thread I created last night to discuss the current measles outbreak in Southern California that has prompted a high school to banish two dozen unvaccinated students from campus for the duration of the three week infectious period generated my curiosity about the immunization requirements for the college I'll be attending in the fall. While skimming through the information page on the health center's site I noticed this statement:

Exemption from Immunizations:
A student may request a religious or philosophical exemption from the immunization requirement prior to June 30 for freshmen and July 31 for graduate and undergraduate transfer students. Attitudes, beliefs, or preferences that are purely personal are not grounds for an exemption.

Students requesting such an exemption must submit this form which explains:

To request a religious or philosophical exemption a student must complete, sign and submit the form, “Request for Religious/ Philosophical Exemption from Required Immunizations” to the Director of Vaden Health Center. A University panel will evaluate your request.

In assessing your request the committee will be looking for a full and succinct explanation of the following points:
• Your religious practices and beliefs emerge from a wider religious community as a part of its religious obligation. Practices that originate in one's family of origin or local community are not accepted as religious in nature.
• Your philosophical position is an established and rational intellectual position shared with others and based on coherent, justifiable philosophical principles. A framework based upon your individual views will not be accepted.
• Your religious belief or philosophical position is deeply held and consistently guides and influences your life.
• Sacred texts, religious authorities in your wider religious community, or philosophical writings indicate that immunization is prohibited. Your personal interpretation will not be considered sufficient.
• You consider and address ethically the tension between your desire not to be immunized and your social obligation to participate in creating “herd immunity.”

Applicants must answer these questions:

I am requesting a Religious / Philosophical Exemption from required immunizations.
1. What is the name of your religion or philosophy?
2. How long ago and how did you come to follow or subscribe to it?
3. How does your religion or philosophy manifest itself in your choices and the way you lead your daily life? Give a specific example not having to do with immunization.
4. What sources (e.g., sacred texts, religious authorities, philosophical writings) indicate that immunization is prohibited? Please give specific references.
5. How does your religion / philosophy address your social obligations to your broader community? What if by declining immunization you contributed to harming others? Would you, for example, voluntarily quarantine yourself in the event of an outbreak of measles or rubella?

To clarify, I have already received the required and recommended vaccinations and have no religious or philosophical objection to immunization. I'm just interested in discovering the thoughts of others regarding this issue, and learning more about typical policies and procedures for it.

My questions / requests:

- If you have a religious or philosophical objection to immunization, could you please explain them by answering the questions above? Please c&p the questions into your post to make your responses smoother to read.

- If you do not personally maintain those objections but are informed about the reasons others do, it would be appreciated if you could answer the questions to the best of your ability.

- What are the typical policies at most K-12 schools (public and private) and colleges and universities for immunizations, in your own experience? I would assume they all permit exemptions for legitimate medical reasons, but in general do they also give allowances for religious and philosophical objections?

- If they do, are the parents / students (if at college) required to provide a reasoned explanation for the exemption request, or is just a matter of checking on a box on a form? I looked up my current school's policy in the handbook, but it just says that our parents have to file our birth certificate and immunization card and be current with all required immunizations. No other info is provided there. It's a private independent school. I have no idea if things operate differently for public schools.

- Do you believe exemptions should be granted on the basis of philosophical or religious objections, or should all students without a valid medical reason for an exemption be required to be in compliance with the required immunizations? Do you believe that though it's a personal matter, since it's one that has the potential to impact others within communities, as evidenced with the measles outbreak, there shouldn't be a choice?

- Should teens who do not have any medical reasons that make them vulnerable to immunization be permitted to get the vaccinations without parental consent? There are teens at HBHS who are quarantined from their lives for three weeks because of choices their parents made on their behalf.

- In some countries parents that do not vaccinate their children properly can be accused of neglect, and face legal consequences if there are not valid medical reasons. Reasonable - yay, nay, maybe?

Whew. This was lonnnnngggg. Apologies! It's not for a homework assignment or anything. I just am inquisitive and looking for any reason to procrastinate going to bed, haha.

 

[Inkachu]

- If you have a religious or philosophical objection to immunization, could you please explain them by answering the questions above? Please c&p the questions into your post to make your responses smoother to read. NO objections here I'm fully immunized and so is my child with all required immunizations. There are some that are not required but recommended, that I don't think are necessary, like the HPV vaccine.

- If you do not personally maintain those objections but are informed about the reasons others do, it would be appreciated if you could answer the questions to the best of your ability. My personal experience in working with the health department has been that, even those who claim a "religious" reason to eschew immunizations are usually more concerned about distrust of the government and the medical community, than about defying their religion. This includes people that I'd call conspiracy theorists; those who believe that vaccines are known to be dangerous, but "they" (the gov't/medical community) are keeping it a secret, or that the government is actively trying to harm people through immunizations. Others, like the Amish, sometimes operate under pure ignorance, as they put a huge emphasis on their own communities' beliefs, which includes what we'd call old wives' tales about illnesses. I worked with that population during a recent pertussis outbreak, and they would refuse immunizations and treatment because they believed you'd become immune if you'd had the disease before (totally false!). Even after we explained that this wasn't true, many of them still would not accept treatment for their sick children OR preventive treatment for their healthy kids. Some of them would accept the medications from us, but later we learned they didn't take it, they just threw it out. They put a lot more weight on what their mothers and grandmothers tell them, than what a medical professional tells them, and that's a hard barrier to overcome.

- What are the typical policies at most K-12 schools (public and private) and colleges and universities for immunizations, in your own experience? I would assume they all permit exemptions for legitimate medical reasons, but in general do they also give allowances for religious and philosophical objections? [/quote] Yes, there is a form that can be filled out for religious exemptions for all schools in my area. It is VERY rarely used, however, in my personal experience. I'm more likely to see a parent who's simply lazy and uncaring and doesnt bother to bring their child in for shots, than one who asks for an exemption. I honestly couldn't tell you the last time someone asked for an exemption.

- If they do, are the parents / students (if at college) required to provide a reasoned explanation for the exemption request, or is just a matter of checking on a box on a form? I looked up my current school's policy in the handbook, but it just says that our parents have to file our birth certificate and immunization card and be current with all required immunizations. No other info is provided there. It's a private independent school. I have no idea if things operate differently for public schools. Schools probably aren't going to advertise that exemptions are available in an attempt to maximize compliance with immunizations. The form that we use for exemptions does ask for a reasoned explanation, but no one's going to force you to go into detail about your beliefs. Immunization requirements for private schools can vary from those for public schools, which are more closely controlled by the state. There is no federal requirement for all schools in regards to immunizations, it's determined by each state.

- Do you believe exemptions should be granted on the basis of philosophical or religious objections, or should all students without a valid medical reason for an exemption be required to be in compliance with the required immunizations? Do you believe that though it's a personal matter, since it's one that has the potential to impact others within communities, as evidenced with the measles outbreak, there shouldn't be a choice? I think it's a slippery slope. In my area, very, very few people ask for exemption, so the number of unvaccinated children out there is extremely small. Because of that, I don't feel they're posing much of a risk to others. However, in areas where you've got larger populations of "the government is out to kill us all" folks, and instead of one or two unvaccinated kids, you've got one or two dozen or one or two hundred, then it does become a concern. Maybe every school should be limited in the number of exemptions it permits ever year?

- Should teens who do not have any medical reasons that make them vulnerable to immunization be permitted to get the vaccinations without parental consent? There are teens at HBHS who are quarantined from their lives for three weeks because of choices their parents made on their behalf. NO, because they aren't legally or medically responsible for their own care. Adverse reactions to vaccines do occur (albeit extremely rarely), and can be life-threatening. I am not an advocate of children receiving any type of medical care without parental consent.

- In some countries parents that do not vaccinate their children properly can be accused of neglect, and face legal consequences if there are not valid medical reasons. Reasonable - yay, nay, maybe? "Consequences" like being quarantined? I'd agree with that. "Consequences" like having their child taken away? No, I don't agree with that.

 

[keith99]

Now you have done it. I'm feeling really old.

As to objections to vaccines. Hell no. And I should have capitalized and bolded it. I'm about the youngest of those who remember, I had classmates crippled by Polio. Oh and my age group is the prime group for Shingles so I get to see ongoing impact of the chickenpox virus.

When my stepson came here from Germany we needed to show all vaccinations were up to date before he could enroll in High School. I do not remember any such requirement when I enrolled at any level. But High School would have been 67 or so which was a time when people saw available vaccines as a boon, they had seen the results of disease, even in cases where things went well with the less dangerous ones it was still a major inconvenience.

I'm going to say no to lack being reason to take kids away from their parents. With one caveat. It should be grounds for the child to be able to file for emancipated minor status and in such a suit the burden should fall on the parents. It is the kids life and health.

 

[Blue Wren]

I do not know, much about religious reasons, for exemptions. I do not think, many people, could give satisfactory answers, for philosophy exemptions, to those questions. If there are medical reasons, that a person cannot be immunised, that, is to be understood. Other wise, no. I do not think, it is fair, to your child, to any-body else, to not vaccinate, properly.

 

[Shempster]

I think its the same issue as any other drug.
You have to weigh out the pro's and con's...the side effects, if you will.
Take a chance on mm&r or a chance of developing autism.

Such a tough choice when its for out little ones. Its still a nice thing that so far, we can choose. Strange they make us use religion tho.

 

[Inkachu]

There is absolutely no established connection between any vaccine and autism. We (health professionals) have a full-time job just battling against that myth, please don't make our job any harder.

Also, no one "makes" you use religion alone as a reason to be exempt. You can ask for an exemption based on personal "philosophy" as well as medical contraindications, which has nothing to do with religion.

 

[Blue Wren]

I think its the same issue as any other drug.
You have to weigh out the pro's and con's...the side effects, if you will.
Take a chance on mm&r or a chance of developing autism.

Such a tough choice when its for out little ones. Its still a nice thing that so far, we can choose. Strange they make us use religion tho.

I don't see how it could be a tough choice, if you know the true facts.How can you even use religion, for a reason? The Jehovah Witnesses, they are just against blood transfusions, yes? Are they against vaccinations, too?

 

[Butterfly99]

I did a search of high school to find any posts that might be interesting. There's not too many. I found this one. Well I didn't read the entire original post cause it's long and I'm tired. You have to submit your immunization record to enroll in my school. I know that for sure cause my mom had laid it out for my dad but he overlooked it when we went in so we had to go back to the house to get it cause the lady at the school registering me said we had to have it. I was homeschooled before high school so Idk what it's like for elementary & middle school but it's probably the same. I don't understand what a philosophical or religious exemption for vaccinations could be. I thought the Jehovah Witnesses just couldn't have blood transfusions.

 

[bhsmte]

There is absolutely no established connection between any vaccine and autism. We (health professionals) have a full-time job just battling against that myth, please don't make our job any harder.

Also, no one "makes" you use religion alone as a reason to be exempt. You can ask for an exemption based on personal "philosophy" as well as medical contraindications, which has nothing to do with religion.

You are correct of course. But, when some people grab onto this conspiracy type of belief, it is hard to speak sense to them.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

This article seems relevant.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I ask. What would rational attraction to being be? Take the vaccine, according to the best evidence. Better for both individual and group. That is if the evidence is strong that it is harmless etc.

Yet, we just learn from the WHO that bacon causes cancer, soooo...

Of course it (the "correct course of action") is a posit. (ie asserted but with reservation).

 

[Nithavela]

Nurgle disapproves vaccines, they stop him from spreading his precious gifts.

 

[Butterfly99]

Nurgle disapproves vaccines, they stop him from spreading his precious gifts.

?

Can you explain what that means? I guess it's a reference or joke or something but I don't get it.

 

[Nithavela]

Google is your friend, just like grandfather nurgle.

 

[Butterfly99]

Google is your friend, just like grandfather nurgle.

I did Google but it was a kinda obscure reference. You couldn't tell just from a second or two. Fine. I read this. http://warhammeronline.wikia.com/wiki/Nurgle Guess the point you were trying to make is that this "Plague Lord" is happy when parents are irresponsible about vaccination & their kids get sick?

 

[Nithavela]

Indeed!

 

[GrowingSmaller]

edit

 

[Crowns&Laurels]

Where is it written 'thou shalt get vaccinated'? Sodomy is the most efficient sexual disease spreader, almost commensurate to taking a shot right into a vein. ~Who are we to judge~ though, right? But no vaccination? ~outrage~

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Mindmap.

 

[lupusFati]

I believe the only exemptions from vaccines should be made for those who are unable to physically be vaccinated, either because of how their body reacts to vaccination or because their immune system is compromised in some way. Those who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated, regardless of moral or spiritual beliefs. Among other things like "vaccines cause autism lololol". That last one is just pure stupidity.