Exemption for only certain vaccines?

[banker16]

I don't want to start any heated debate regarding vaccines....

I refuse to vaccinate my 4yr old twins for chicken pox. The rest of the vaccines have been on a delayed schedule. I was finally able to split up the MMR and I will test for immunity before I do boosters next year.

I don't know if I can use the religious exemption form for only the chicken pox. From the ones I've seen, it states I don't believe in any vaccines. That's not true...only the chicken pox!

Any ideas of how to get around not giving them the CP vac?

Thanks!

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by banker16

I don't want to start any heated debate regarding vaccines....

I refuse to vaccinate my 4yr old twins for chicken pox. The rest of the vaccines have been on a delayed schedule. I was finally able to split up the MMR and I will test for immunity before I do boosters next year.

I don't know if I can use the religious exemption form for only the chicken pox. From the ones I've seen, it states I don't believe in any vaccines. That's not true...only the chicken pox!

Any ideas of how to get around not giving them the CP vac?

Thanks!

What state do you live in?

[MLA]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm just wondering why you're choosing not to vax for chicken pox but are vaxing for everything else? I ask because I had intended to vax for everything but chicken pox until I learned that vaxing for and, therefore, avoiding chicken pox all together means never getting shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you do run the risk of shingles as an adult. Anyway, I don't know if that's common knowlege or not -- it was certainly a surprise to me. But I figured I'd share.

All that said, is there any reason that you can't just say you don't agree w/any vaxes and just vax however you want? Will your doctor be telling your school that your child's vaxed for everything but chicken pox? How would they know one way or another?

[banker16]

Georgia, so the philisophical one is out...

[Fyrestorm]

You would still need to file a religious exemption for all vaccines and hope that no one finds out...you need to be sure that you are not on the state vaccine registry.

[KLM99]

Originally Posted by MLA

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm just wondering why you're choosing not to vax for chicken pox but are vaxing for everything else? I ask because I had intended to vax for everything but chicken pox until I learned that vaxing for and, therefore, avoiding chicken pox all together means never getting shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you do run the risk of shingles as an adult. Anyway, I don't know if that's common knowlege or not -- it was certainly a surprise to me. But I figured I'd share.

I think you would need to just claim the religious exemption and not mention that your twins have had any shots at all...

And not to hijack the thread, but to the poster above - why so scared of shingles? And what about when the vaccine immunity wears off and you get CP or shingles anyway?

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by MLA

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm just wondering why you're choosing not to vax for chicken pox but are vaxing for everything else? I ask because I had intended to vax for everything but chicken pox until I learned that vaxing for and, therefore, avoiding chicken pox all together means never getting shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you do run the risk of shingles as an adult. Anyway, I don't know if that's common knowlege or not -- it was certainly a surprise to me. But I figured I'd share.

All that said, is there any reason that you can't just say you don't agree w/any vaxes and just vax however you want? Will your doctor be telling your school that your child's vaxed for everything but chicken pox? How would they know one way or another?

That's actually not true at all. I know lots of kids who got the cp vax and came down with shingles at 2 years old. Getting the vaccine actually increases your chance of shingles. Don't worry, though - there's a shingles vaccine

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by MLA

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm just wondering why you're choosing not to vax for chicken pox but are vaxing for everything else? I ask because I had intended to vax for everything but chicken pox until I learned that vaxing for and, therefore, avoiding chicken pox all together means never getting shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you do run the risk of shingles as an adult. Anyway, I don't know if that's common knowlege or not -- it was certainly a surprise to me. But I figured I'd share.

All that said, is there any reason that you can't just say you don't agree w/any vaxes and just vax however you want? Will your doctor be telling your school that your child's vaxed for everything but chicken pox? How would they know one way or another?

Just wondering if your doctor told you that?? As above poster mentioned this is not the case. Since you are basically injecting a live virus into the body, you most certainly can get shingles after this vaccine

[MLA]

Originally Posted by KLM99

And not to hijack the thread, but to the poster above - why so scared of shingles? And what about when the vaccine immunity wears off and you get CP or shingles anyway?

Umm . . . because shingles are horribly painful and can last for a VERY long time -- oh and is potentially deadly? And sure the immunity can wear off, but that's why you get your titers checked every so often and get boosters as necessary.

Originally Posted by Marnica

Just wondering if your doctor told you that?? As above poster mentioned this is not the case. Since you are basically injecting a live virus into the body, you most certainly can get shingles after this vaccine

That is, indeed, what my doctor told me. After having done some more research, though, I'm not sure he was completely accurate in his statement. Hmm . . .

Here's what I've found w/a quick search:

Now that we have a chickenpox vaccine, are shingles and PHN on their way out? Although the FDA hasn't evaluated the effects of the vaccine on shingles, Krause believes that "in the long term, if you can prevent enough people from getting the wild (natural) type of chickenpox, you're likely to see a beneficial effect on the incidence of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. But it may take several generations for this to happen."

Interesting.

I've also found this article: http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/01/12896.aspx
It seems that this researcher has found that shingles cases will increase because of the eradication of chicken pox since part of the way to avoid shingles seems to have occasional contact w/chicken pox throughout one's life. However, evidence seems to support that those who get the vaccine have a much lower chance of getting shingles later in life:

Since the vaccine is now standard in the United States, the frequency of the natural disease should decline. Those who have had chickenpox as children will not be re-exposed as often, if at all. Their immunity may wane over time, making shingles and adult chickenpox even more common than they are now.

To date, those who have received the vaccine have a much lower incidence of shingles than those who actually had chickenpox over the same time period.

http://www.drgreene.com/21_510.html


I know this wasn't to be a thread for vaccine debate. I just think the research is interesting. I haven't looked very far into the chixpox vaccine because I have a few years before DS will be receiving it, anyway.

[Juvysen]

there's also this:http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/01/12896.aspx

Goldman's research supports that shingles, which results in three times as many deaths and five times the number of hospitalizations as chicken pox, is suppressed naturally by occasional contact with chicken pox.
Dr. Goldman's findings have corroborated other independent researchers who estimate that if chickenpox were to be nearly eradicated by vaccination, the higher number of shingles cases could continue in the U.S. for up to 50 years; and that while death rates from chickenpox are already very low, any deaths prevented by vaccination will be offset by deaths from increasing shingles disease.

[MLA]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

there's also this:http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/01/12896.aspx

Yup. That's the researcher's info I found.

[KLM99]

Interesting stuff. I had shingles about 10 years ago and while it was really really awful, I still wouldn't get a vaccine for it. Realizing that older, not as healthy people may have worse/deadly cases...

[ldybg610]

GA is the same as MO in which you can get medically or religiously exempt. Since my DH and I don't follow a religion we plan to get medically exempt. The prob is finding a doc that will respect your wishes without argument. I found a website, not sure how up to date it is, but it said there is no official form in GA for it. Basically your doc just has to write up a notice and you have to get it notarized.

here are the 2 links I looked at
http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/georgia.htm
http://www.unhinderedliving.com/statevaccexemp.html

not sure about the whole prob with just refusing one vax. That would be something to talk to ur doc about.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

You can vax all you want up until you file for that exemption. So if you send you child to school then they are scheduled to have already gotten all the shots except the boosters. So you wait until right before school file the exemption.

If you are going to do day care though depending on age that may not work as well. I have no idea what would happen to someone if they got caught vaxing after filing an exemption.

ldybg610 you dont need to be religious or belong to a church you can be atheist and still claim the religious exemption since it is a belief held by you that vaxing is harmful. They cannot ask you what religion you are it is against the law. I filed the religious but I am not a member of a church my dh is though but that church definatly has nothing against vax.
It is my personal religious belief that vaxing is harmful.

You will not be able to find a dr willing to do medical emept. unless they see your child nearly die right there after a vax they wont do it and then they will only do it for that particular vax.

If you do find a dr that will do it be sure to post it here cause I know a bunch of mama's willing to travel to get it from him

[SunshineJ]

Originally Posted by ldybg610

GA is the same as MO in which you can get medically or religiously exempt. Since my DH and I don't follow a religion we plan to get medically exempt. The prob is finding a doc that will respect your wishes without argument. I found a website, not sure how up to date it is, but it said there is no official form in GA for it. Basically your doc just has to write up a notice and you have to get it notarized.

here are the 2 links I looked at
http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/georgia.htm
http://www.unhinderedliving.com/statevaccexemp.html

not sure about the whole prob with just refusing one vax. That would be something to talk to ur doc about.

Why go with the medical, which is wicked evil to get around here? The health dept has an off white 3x5 card for religious exemption, and you just check off which ones you disagree with. Jackson county is VERY easy to selectively vax or not vax at all in. I've been doing it for about 3 years now I think. The worst I ever had to deal with was once I had to meet with the state nurse who gave me the vax info sheets, made sure I realized that if something like say CP was going around the school my kids would have to stay home, and then sent me on my way. They don't care about your religion, what it is or isn't, they just want you to have that card.

BTW, I'm up the street in Independence until we move in a few days.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

So let me get this right in GA and MO you can pick and choose which vax you want or not and still claim the religious expemption?

I was unaware of any state that had that clause. Can anyone give me a link that states that? Not that I doubt you but I am sure there are parents on here who would love to have that information.

[ldybg610]

SunshineJ

Thanks for the info. This being my first baby, I just started learning about all the vax and that you can get exempt from them. I don't know anyone who have chosen not to vax... and honestly everyone I mention it to thinks I'm crazy! I'm beginning to think everyone I know is just a sheep lol. If you could give me any advice I would greatly appreciate it. If I do the religious exempt does that include the vit k and hep b in the hospital or do I have to do something else for those?

[SunshineJ]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

So let me get this right in GA and MO you can pick and choose which vax you want or not and still claim the religious expemption?

I was unaware of any state that had that clause. Can anyone give me a link that states that? Not that I doubt you but I am sure there are parents on here who would love to have that information.

Well in our county in MO you can, but I haven't found anything that specifies one way or another in the state laws. I looked but couldn't find an online sample of the exemption card. It has the info at top for the child's name, etc. Then there's a large box with all the vaccines listed inside and boxes next to them. It says something like "I am religiously opposed to the following immunizations and my child should be exempt from receiving them". You just check off what ones you don't agree with and turn it in to the school. I'll see if I can keep looking and find something either way, but ds's school nurse didn't really care if there were 1 or all marked as long as the card was on file.

If I do the religious exempt does that include the vit k and hep b in the hospital or do I have to do something else for those?

For the vit k and hep b you need to make sure the entire staff knows that you will NOT be having those administered. For school stuff, they don't care by that time about the vit k, and the hep b is included on the card. Really, the only people who care about your child's vax status are WIC, social services (if you ever need to use either of those), the dr's office and the school's and preschools. Schools and preschools are all that require exemption cards.

[ldybg610]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X

So let me get this right in GA and MO you can pick and choose which vax you want or not and still claim the religious expemption?

I was unaware of any state that had that clause. Can anyone give me a link that states that? Not that I doubt you but I am sure there are parents on here who would love to have that information.

Here's a link with the cards on there.

http://www.happybottomus.com/hbu_inf...ns%20forms.pdf

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

The TN exemption used to look like that but you still couldnt vax for any of the ones you didnt choose. This year there is no longer the option to pick the ones you want it is just a letter stating you know the risks of vaxing and not vaxing and you choose to not do so for religious reasons.

That is great that they have that loophole there the way it is worded on the exemption does allow for selective vax