Religious or philosophical exemptions from immunization requirements at schools

[Ada Lovelace]

- 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? 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.

This is a very belated public thanks for your detailed and knowledgeable response. (I had thanked her privately at the time she wrote this because I appreciated it so much.) While I agree with the bulk of your post I fervently disagree with you about minors being denied the right to obtain necessary doctor-recommended vaccinations for themselves if their parents have not acted reasonably and responsibly in this regard. I think sixteen is a sensible age to allow minors to consent to routine medical care. The risk of severe adverse side effects and long-term harm to a teenager from a vaccine is less than the potential detriment from taking standard over-the-counter medication as directed. Few would view it as prudent to deprive a 16 or 17-year-old the right to take Midol or Advil as needed. I know of teens who've suffered through the excruciating agony of pertussis, shingles, meningitis, chicken pox (which can be more severe in infants, teens, and adults than school-aged children) and pneumonia. Not only is it physically distressing, it can have significant academic, athletic, social, and psychological ramifications as well. It puts your life on hold. If the illness occurs during the school year you often have to miss classes, athletic practices, club meetings, as well as all other extracurricular activities, and time spent with friends and significant others.

Even if the teen isn't afflicted with the actual illness, if an outbreak occurs at her school and she is noncompliant with the vaccine requirements she can be forced to self-quarantine and remain off campus for the duration of the infectious period. This is what happened in January at HBHS in SoCal. A friend who was forced to self-quarantine and miss crucial time at school because her mother is adamantly opposed to "Western medicine" (and has never permitted her to see an actual doctor in her life, instead having her delivered by a midwife and only taking her to a chiropractor and naturopath) never academically recovered. She'd pleaded with her mom to sign the forms her to be vaccinated and had done the proper research to show the risks were virtually microscopic, but still couldn't receive the consent. She had a rigorous schedule filled with AP and other demanding classes, and she fell so far behind that despite her efforts she could never catch up. She didn't receiving a score high enough to earn credit on any of her AP exams. In contrast, I was able to start college with sophomore-level status due to credit earned from AP and dual enrollment classes.

Over the summer an Ontario anti-vaxxer mother ranted about her teenage daughter obtaining all of her vaccines on her own accord, without parental permission. Apparently this was perfectly legal there. The internet gave the teen a well-deserved round of applause. It's prudent self-care, and it's also having respect for those in her community who are vulnerable and cannot obtain vaccines themselves due to age or medical issues. I wish teens in California were afforded the same dignities.

Anyway. Hopefully the matter of unvaccinated kids at California schools will soon be relegated to the past since the law has passed here mandating vaccination for enrollment at all private and public schools. At the time I wrote the OP that hadn't occurred yet. Parents who still refuse to comply can send their kids to state-funded online schools or homeschool. Again, I think teens should have more rights regarding their bodies and their education. I posted on my college's private forum last summer after a thread on here about people submitting fraudulent vaccine forms to schools to unethically circumnavigate the immunization requirements for enrollment, and was assured it would be impossible for one to get through at mine. I was also informed that very few students ever seek non-medical exemption for the requirements, and even fewer are ever granted. Even though I view a healthy person being deliberately unvaccinated when living in a communal setting like a dorm to be acting selfishly and imprudently, I do respect that Stanford permits those who are passionately opposed to vaccination to present their reasons for it in the request. They cannot merely regurgitate "reasoning" from Facebook posts or whatever they scraped together from Google searches, but must instead provide clear, logical, evidence-based rationale. It's why few requests are ever granted. I do think it would be beneficial if more colleges that permitted non-medical exemptions required such a thoughtful process rather than permitting people to merely check a box and not provide any intelligent articulation for their reasoning. It would force the student wanting an exemption to thoroughly think about it and present their case in their own words.

~~ I'm sorry the font is different. I typed this from my grandpa's Kindle and the font kept changing on its own.~~

 

[Ada Lovelace]

I'm sorry you are under the weather, sweetie. I've been recovering from pneumonia. Stupid asthma kicks my butt eveytime I get a cold. I feel like wrapping myself in bubble wrap for the winter. I need some sun! It's been so grey and depressing here. I think I'm withering away without the sun. Miss you. xoxo

Here's a sunshine funshine Care Bear for you. I sent a text to you a while ago and never received a response. Hopefully you are feeling better by now.

 

[Saricharity]

Here's a sunshine funshine Care Bear for you. I sent a text to you a while ago and never received a response. Hopefully you are feeling better by now.

Thanks lovely.
Didn't get your text, or I would have replied.
You will be happy to know I'm taking two courses from Mount Allison online...it's been fun but made my life crazy on top of teaching and working at the stables. I burned my candle too thinly, but I'm on the mend.

 

[Blue Wren]

Lol, I don't think she was offering to give one to you. Think she was trying to help you help yourself out. Help out everybody around you. Pneumonia is awful for real. A man at our church died from it this year. He wasn't all that old. Like maybe 31-32. Idk. He had little kids. It took his life pretty quick. If pneumonia kicked your butt so bad like you said Idk why wouldn't just get the vaccine. You're not one of those Christian Scientists who are against all medicine & stuff are you? Cause if not well then I'm for real.

It is a pity the man, from your church, died so young. Pneumonia can be fatal, most certainly. We had patients die of it, in the hospital where I did my research, whilst in America last year. It is more of a risk, in the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, and those with heart or lung problems such as asthma.

 

[Butterfly99]

Typo, health versus God. The scientific evidence evidence is that vaccination works, so any objection would be faith overriding science, but also (by standard measures) health.

Oh, lol. Well after the post about Nurgle I wasn't sure if Giod was something like that. I don't even get how it could be a faith thing except for those Christian Scientists who believe you're supposed to pray for healing & not use any medicine ever. Kids have died cause of that cause their parents won't let them have chemo or insulin. It's not Godly to me tbh. There were doctors in the Bible.