MMR Required for College - How can we get out of it?

[Slabobbin]

My DH and I are returning to college. They let us attend last semester, a grace period, without having our second MMR. In order to attend this semester we have to have proof of it. I had my second MMR fifteen years ago (before kids, before knowing anything about vaccines). DH has not had a second MMR. We finally got his vaccine record, thinking he had probably had it and we could just turn the record in, and saw that he has not had one. We are in TN which has a religious and/or a medical exemption. How can we get out of this? He is agnostic...which I don't think (??) would qualify for a relgious exemption. Don't you have to have clergy sign the form? Anyone in the know?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

In TN all you need is to go the the health dept and get the form file it out and have it noterized. You do not have to belong to a religion and they cannot ask you what religion you are. I am assuming on this that the exemption is the same for adults and kids.

Since I only went to get dd's and on it does say childs name. So it may be a different form.

[Marnica]

http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/sta...tennessee.aspx

you can file a religious exemption. You do not need to be a part of an organized religion.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I just found this http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/tennessee.htm it might help. Looks like that page has broken links I see though that pp has a working link.

[J_Mac]

Originally Posted by Slabobbin

My DH and I are returning to college. They let us attend last semester, a grace period, without having our second MMR. In order to attend this semester we have to have proof of it. I had my second MMR fifteen years ago (before kids, before knowing anything about vaccines). DH has not had a second MMR. We finally got his vaccine record, thinking he had probably had it and we could just turn the record in, and saw that he has not had one. We are in TN which has a religious and/or a medical exemption. How can we get out of this? He is agnostic...which I don't think (??) would qualify for a relgious exemption. Don't you have to have clergy sign the form? Anyone in the know?

You could have titers drawn. I'm an LVN and had to go through this last year when I switched jobs. I think they just want proof of immunity.

[kaylee18]

Titers are probably the best way to go if your insurance covers it. The second MMR is not a booster. It's intended to incite an immune response in the small minority of people who don't respond to the first dose. Since he's had one dose, he more than likely has sufficient immunity that will show on a titer.

ETA: And no, you do not need a clergy signature to get a religious exemption. In general, all that is required is a statement that the declining person's sincerely held religious beliefs preclude vaccination. That's it.

[Slabobbin]

We don't have insurance as he was laid off in October. The health department charges $58.00 for the MMR and doesn't do a sliding scale for vaccines for adults (although they do one for other adult heath services...I didn't understand that one).

Because of the advice here, DH signed a religious exemption today and all is well. Thank you all so much!