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Accpetable reasons for medical exemption

post #1 of 16
12/14/08 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
I need to find out how I can get a medical exemption for both of my kids for school. DHs cousin got encephalitis as a child from the DPT shot and is partially deaf. My cousin has Down Syndrome and has what we think is aluminum toxicity. This has resulted in the onset of seizures. I found out today that seizures are common in my family. My grandmother, aunt, and 2 cousins have had them.

Can I go off of the seizure thing? We are considering a private school and I do not want to deal with the religious thing if we choose a religious school.

Thanks everyone!
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post #2 of 16
12/14/08 at 1:55am
Medical exemptions are very hard to get. Your child had to have a severe reaction to a vaccine and the doctor has to accept it as a reaction. Then it is only to that one vaccine and is up for review every couple of years.

Religious exemption or philosophical is your best choice. Even if your kids go to a religious school, they still have to accept your individual interpretation to your faith, if they get any government funding.
post #3 of 16
12/14/08 at 1:58am
Thread Starter 
Thanks.... I really want school to be an easy thing for us. Stupid mandatory vaccines.
post #4 of 16
12/14/08 at 1:59am
Let's see, both DH and I had life-threatening reactions to separate vaccinations during our childhood that were witnessed by ER staff and our peds.

Neither of our parents were able to get us a medical exemption. My ped told my mom that the "1st time's a charm" and subsequent vax's would be fine. This was as I was seizing in the office. DH's ped told his parents nothing was related to the vax (he was found non-responsive/cardiac arrest on the ground and was hospitalized w/ encephalitis complications for 3 months)


So, uh, good luck.
post #5 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:01am
The only medical exemtpion you can get is if your child has a life threatening reaction to the vax and you can get a dr to agree the vax caused it. Even then the exemption would only be for that 1 vax it wouldnt include any of the others.

Religious of philosophical is the best way to go and any school that accepts federal funding must take the exemption. If they dont take federal funding and are a private school you are just out of luck.
post #6 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:06am
Thread Starter 
All I ever read about religious exemptions is how much of a pain school personel make them for the parents. ANY chance I will have an easy time of it?? LOL!!!
post #7 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:14am
There is a very good chance you will have an easy time. For me it was so simple it was scary

Here you pick the exemption up at the local health dept. (took the lady 15min to find one since she had never been asked for one before) handed it to me I signed it and checked off boxes and then took it and had it noterized that was free thank goodness. Turned it in with the rest of the paperwork for school ie physical and health information. That was that no questions asked and each year I just send a simple letter with the other paperwork reminding them she has the exemption with the law number on it.
post #8 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:22am
I think it also depends on your state's acceptence as proof. Some states allow the parent to fill the exemption out medical or religous/philosophical others allow NO philosophical but medical. We are delayed and some all right not doing and I was able to sign for a medical reason the line read" x parents request a medical exemption for xx vaccination due to medical concerns or reactions". My feeling was my concern about autism/heavy metals and other complications was my medical reason. they never asked for proof by a medical personal. I also think having an understanding pediatrician helps as well some have no problem allowing a medical exemption (using the same reasoning as mine) to grant them others have to go by strict guidelines by the state as to what counts as an exemptable reason.
post #9 of 16
12/14/08 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rik8144 View Post
All I ever read about religious exemptions is how much of a pain school personel make them for the parents.
I don't see how?
We handed in our notarized exemption form. They replied that the paper was placed in his file. That was now 3 years ago.
End of story!

Just to clarify, we do not belong to any organized religion and did not make any such claim.
post #10 of 16
12/14/08 at 12:21pm
with private schools (not receiving outside funding) it depends on two things in my experience:

school policies

how desperate they are for enrollment

if the school is having trouble finding students they might be willing to reconsider the policies

on the other hand, if they know their parent body, they may not want to "risk" accepting unvaxed children as it might cause some lead parents to pull their children.

If there is a discussion, you may want to point out that medical information is supposed to be confidential. Other parents shouldn't know that some children have exemptions.
Good luck!
post #11 of 16
12/14/08 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rik8144 View Post
All I ever read about religious exemptions is how much of a pain school personel make them for the parents. ANY chance I will have an easy time of it?? LOL!!!
Most posts regarding private schools don't report problems. Chances are if you include a religious exemption (and the law) with the other paperwork it won't be a problem.
post #12 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:41pm
I'm military, so it is next to impossible to get ANY vaccination exemptions. That said, I have a medical exemption against receiving the smallpox vaccine due to eczema. There are conditions which can make certain vaccines dangerous.

My kids are (#1) fully vaxed; (#2) partially, selectively vaxed; (#3) plan to delay vaxes till age 2 and then partially, selectively vax.
post #13 of 16
12/14/08 at 2:53pm
Go with a religious exemption. I have 2 life threatning neurological conditions that may be genetic, my dh has a heart condition and also had a serious reaction to the DTP shot when he was a baby, and has RA in his immediate family. We can't get a medical exemption due to our history.
post #14 of 16
12/14/08 at 7:56pm
I don't know how it is in the states. But I have a medical exemption in Canada. I reacted to the MMR booster my father tried to stop me from getting when I was eight. My reaction was minor (fever, rash), but years later my father managed to play up the reaction and push the doctor for a medical exemption.
Depending on your doctor, you could try to push for one. But religious/philosophical is much easier.
post #15 of 16
12/15/08 at 1:08am
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone!!!! I hope things are easy for me!
post #16 of 16
12/15/08 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rik8144 View Post
All I ever read about religious exemptions is how much of a pain school personel make them for the parents. ANY chance I will have an easy time of it?? LOL!!!
Level of difficulty depends on the state, and the school.

I'm in NY and was really surprised at the relative ease of getting an exemption in our school district.

My son's community college however, has been another matter entirely. :
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