Helpwith religious exemption and selective vaccination

[Jen_in_NH]

Hi everyone

I've tried looking this up online, but am having no luck. Hopefully you all can help me out.

We're selectively vax'ing our 18 month old son. So far, we've refused hep A, rotavirus, and flu. These are no big deal, as far as the exemptions, since they're not required for school here. He's going in for his WC visit next week, and is due for MMR and varicella, neither of which he'll be getting. How will this work for NH and the religious exemption? Am I allowed to say that I'm religiously opposed to some, but not others?

Thanks
Jen

[kiara7]

Vaccines are only required for schools. You don't have to have an exemption for the doctor - simply tell them no. Whenever the time comes for your lo to go to school, you'll submit religious exemption regardless of which ones he's had - you can have a change in religious beliefs anytime.

P.S. You can not be religiously opposed to some and not others. For religious exemption you have to be against the practice of vaccination.

[spero]

Originally Posted by Jen_in_NH

I've tried looking this up online, but am having no luck. Hopefully you all can help me out.

Here's the information for your state.

We're selectively vax'ing our 18 month old son. So far, we've refused hep A, rotavirus, and flu. These are no big deal, as far as the exemptions, since they're not required for school here. He's going in for his WC visit next week, and is due for MMR and varicella, neither of which he'll be getting. How will this work for NH and the religious exemption? Am I allowed to say that I'm religiously opposed to some, but not others?

Getting an exemption depends on what your future immunization plans are - because no, you cannot be religiously opposed to "some" vaccines and still get an exemption. That's philosophical exemption, which is not offered in NH. Religious exemption speaks to the practice of immunization, across the board.

If you're only going to give vaccines while he's a baby, then when he goes to school you can maintain that your "beliefs have changed" and that you are no longer vaccinating. Just make certain that you are indeed, done.

If you intend to continue to selectively vaccinate, you'll have a problem with the exemption.

[Baby_Cakes]

Do you eventually want to do the MMR? You can delay and wait until he is school age and start them (either the MMR or separate the three) then. With varicella, you can hope he gets chicken pox before starting school. Have his titers checked when it comes time, and see if he needs the vaccine.

I'm in NJ and we only have religious (or medical) exemption as well. For NJ the one that really bothers me is Hep B. I wish they didn't require that one for school. I'm ok catching my dd up with the others by the time she's 5 or 6, but Hep B just really bugs me.

But I digress. If you do not want to ever do the MMR or varicella, then the pp is right. You need to be religiously opposed to all vaccinations from the time you stop. You won't be able to pick and choose the few you want to get in between. HTH!

[MommaSuzi]

not sure, but couldn't you be religiously opposed to vaccinations that use abortion cell lines, which would cover Hep A, MMR and Chicken Pox, but agree to the others for school attendance?

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by MommaSuzi

not sure, but couldn't you be religiously opposed to vaccinations that use abortion cell lines, which would cover Hep A, MMR and Chicken Pox, but agree to the others for school attendance?

It's a legal definition of being religiously opposed, which is vastly different from common sense. Courts decided that being opposed to the way a vaccine is manufactured, or the ingredients in it, is philosophical, even with something that seems as straightforward as cell lines from aborted fetuses. Bizarre, but true.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by MommaSuzi

not sure, but couldn't you be religiously opposed to vaccinations that use abortion cell lines, which would cover Hep A, MMR and Chicken Pox, but agree to the others for school attendance?

No, you have to be "opposed to the practice of vaccination".

[JamieCatheryn]

As the religious exemption is something given instead of vaccination records to school, just give them the exemption form and don't share info about any vax's you have had done. At the doctor's office you don't need to use religious exemption, it's not a legal burden on your part, just accept or refuse what you want to and help them out by signing a waiver (if its wording is ok with you) for their files.

[Fyrestorm]

Just make sure you have opted out of your state's vaccine registry. (in some states this is not possible though).

Any vaccine your child receives will be entered into the registry and some states allow schools access to it. If your state allows schools access and they find out that you are selectively vaccinating it will void your exemption.

[spero]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

As the religious exemption is something given instead of vaccination records to school, just give them the exemption form and don't share info about any vax's you have had done. At the doctor's office you don't need to use religious exemption, it's not a legal burden on your part, just accept or refuse what you want to and help them out by signing a waiver (if its wording is ok with you) for their files.

However,

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

Just make sure you have opted out of your state's vaccine registry. (in some states this is not possible though).

Any vaccine your child receives will be entered into the registry and some states allow schools access to it. If your state allows schools access and they find out that you are selectively vaccinating it will void your exemption.

:

[DandeCobb]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm

Just make sure you have opted out of your state's vaccine registry. (in some states this is not possible though).

Any vaccine your child receives will be entered into the registry and some states allow schools access to it. If your state allows schools access and they find out that you are selectively vaccinating it will void your exemption.

WHAT?!????????????????????? there is a database of this information that is made available to schools?? what?????

okay, calming down....i guess i should not be surprised about stuff like this anymore. How do you find out what states maintain one of these?

[spero]

http://www.immregistries.org/public....gs/regMain.php

In NYS, those who have "read" access to the registry include:

WIC Clinics, STD Clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities, elementary schools and Head Start, Indian Health Service

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by DandeCobb

WHAT?!????????????????????? there is a database of this information that is made available to schools?? what?????

okay, calming down....i guess i should not be surprised about stuff like this anymore. How do you find out what states maintain one of these?

Try googleing your state + vaccine registry.


It might also be available through your state's health dept. page.

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by spero

http://www.immregistries.org/public....gs/regMain.php

In NYS, those who have "read" access to the registry include:

WIC Clinics, STD Clinics, hospitals, correctional facilities, elementary schools and Head Start, Indian Health Service

Thank you for that link Spero...I had no idea it existed...bookmarking!

[spero]

I had no idea, myself, until I went looking ... maybe one of the mods would be so kind as to archive the link in Resources for us?

[MommaSuzi]

I only found out about the registry when I switched pediatricians. They asked about our vaccination records and compared them to what they had pulled up on the registry... Yikes. Creepy in a big brother kind of way.

Thanks for the info about the legal definition of religious exemption. Fortunately I live in a state that allows philosophical exemptions, so I'll just shift over to that one....