Support for totally unvaccinated - Page 2

[mom at home]

I stopped vaxing my 8 yr old when she was 12 months and haven't vaxed my 6 yr old at all and I've never worried about it. The schools ask me to fill out an exemption form, but I don't even put the reason any more. It just asks you to check medical, religious or philosophical and I check the latter. I used to write a long detailed explaination just for educational purposes (the education of the person reading the form, that is), but now I don't even bother to do that. I figure if I have the right to an exemption it's none of their business to know why. If we only had a religious exemption here, I would check that box and leave it at that. I guess I am lucky to live in a state where no one seems to care. I did get a questionaire from the state once related to vaccinating your child and I got great pleasure from filling it out (they probably don't get many responses from well-informed non vaxers). I asked a friend of mine who works for CDC (a nonvaxer as well) if she thought they sent it to me knowing I didn't vax and she said definitely.
I've never worried about it and it's terrible to hear how many of you feel you need to worry about it. Are they really so hard core about it in some states? Do they require knowing what religion you are if you claim a religious exemption? Can you just tell them none of your business if they ask?

Land of the free, yeah right. Good luck, all you mamas.

Alison

[morgan's_mom]

Constitutionally speaking, no one can require you to state your religious affiliation or "prove" that you belong to a specific religion whose tenets oppose vaccinations. IIRC, there have been successful constitutional challenges to religious exemption statutes that allowed for such questioning. The theory is that the law, in effect, affords the exemption to certain religions, but not others, which amounts to discrimination on the basis of religion. Definitely do more research (and I would find links for you if I didn't have a tired 18 m/o), but I believe this is the case.

ETA: The new Texas conscientious exemption that just went into effect in September includes a provision that no health & human services agency (in other words, CPS) can take punitive action against non-vaxing parents based on their choice not to vax. This includes launching an investigation.

[LaurenS]

Thanks to all the responses. I have been trying to remain calm and not stress out about this issue. I guess I do need to look more into the legal stuff which I will do soon. I feel like my energy has been taken away and so I need to recharge.

As far as the religious exemption, it won't work for us. My husband is an athiest and will not sign any form stating that he has a "religious" objection to anything. In fact, he refused to sign the religious objection to the heal prick test when we applied for our baby's birth certificate (our baby was born in California). The woman who was going to issue the certificate threatened to not give us one. She had to make a lot of phone calls and then came back and said that by law she had to give us a birth certificate. I don't know if they came looking for us later as we moved out of state shortly after that.

I'm not concerned about school either at this point. I guess it seems too early to worry about that as our baby is only 9 months old.

[Tracy]

As far as the religious exemption, it won't work for us. My husband is an athiest and will not sign any form stating that he has a "religious" objection to anything.

I would think you could sign it and it would work.
Maybe he signs a paper that says, "I defer all vaccination decisions to my wife."
keep that in your file. And then you sign the religous waiver.

kwim?

[gilnikche]

Lauren,

Did you check out the site I posted? Your husband may not have a problem with it. I have read that it was started by a group of chiropractors to satisfy the requirements for a religious exemption.

Congregation of Universal Wisdom

[LaurenS]

Yes thank you gilnikche, I did see the link and read about the congregation. Any religious objection just won't work for us.

Land of the free.........yeah right.

My husband said that when he goes back to school (in about 4 years), he is going to look into schools in other countries. Hopefully we can find one that fits.

Lauren

[gilnikche]

bumping up

[Mamid]

Unfortunately, in Canada, the lovely "Notwithstanding" clause in our constitution actually invalidates all the rights given to us in all the other clauses. It is the same clause that gives Quebec power to force all signs to be french and fine any english ones. (short version of what is happening there)

So when CPS comes nocking at your door here, you pretty much have to let them in, although you can and should make a fuss about it - break out the tape and video recorders... etc etc etc.

That and have the Vaccine issue of Mothering on your coffee table for them to see... Mothering is just mainstream enough that the ones who decided to inspect me almost walked off with it....