Exemptions

[Amatullah0]

I live in a state that has medical, religious, and philosophical. We're planning on moving to a state that doesn't have philosophical. Is it better to claim religious in this case? Even though there is no way to explain that to our ped who is the same.exact.religion as us(and doesn't believe it is against our religion)?

[emma1325]

Your pediatrician has no business asking you to specify your religion. If he did, you could state that your religion is not up for discussion, then file a complaint against him. Trust me, if you said you're religiously opposed to vaccines, I seriously doubt the ped would ask which religion you are. (If he already knows which religion you are, don't worry. Your interpretation of the religion can be different than his.)

But just FYI, the exemptions are for school (or daycare,) and depending on the state you're moving to, you'll need to file by following the state's specifications. (For example, in Texas to file a religious exemption, I had to request a form from the state, sign it, have it notarized, and turn it into the school. Some states have the parents write a letter and sign it.) You don't need to file exemption through your doctor unless you're filing a medical exemption. And you don't have to discuss any reasons with your pediatrician if you don't want to. You can simply say you're not vaccinating and it's not up for discussion.

[radishes]

Hey, I assume we are the same religion, (your name and icon) and the reason we don't vaccinate out of many, many, many, other reason is because some of the vaccinations do use pig, monkey, and human fetal tissue to grow the disease on. I know that plenty of people in my community don't have a problem with that because they consider vaccines to be medicine, but well, I do. I don't see why you can't use that for your excuse and hey, if they want to think you are a fundamentalist or something, who cares? It isn't really there business anyway, you cannot be compelled to vaccinate and everyone interprets their religion differently anyhow. Good luck.

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by radishes

Hey, I assume we are the same religion, (your name and icon) and the reason we don't vaccinate out of many, many, many, other reason is because some of the vaccinations do use pig, monkey, and human fetal tissue to grow the disease on. I know that plenty of people in my community don't have a problem with that because they consider vaccines to be medicine, but well, I do. I don't see why you can't use that for your excuse and hey, if they want to think you are a fundamentalist or something, who cares? It isn't really there business anyway, you cannot be compelled to vaccinate and everyone interprets their religion differently anyhow. Good luck.

yeah, that was my initial reason for not vaxxing(until i came here and read some!)

the "problem" with the ped is that we're a very close religious community, and the ped is kinda like a very close family friend/close aunt

i say "problem" because shes fine with us delaying/denying vaccines(for now) but still tries to push at least one vax per wc/vax visit. ds has gotten 3 that i didnt want him to get yet(if at all)

thanks for clarifying that though. i'm planning on homeschooling, but i dont know what the vax record laws are for homeschool in either state. i wasnt sure if it had to go through the ped or not.

[MyZoeJane]

It is ALWAYS better to submit a religious exemption if you can fashion one you feel good about. I say that because a religious exemption is better protected by the Constitution than a philosophical one is.... AND because of the reason you stated above. When you move to a state without philosopical exemptions, you set yourself up for issues.

That said, a religious exemption can be a PERSONAL religious exemption and does not have to be supported by the tenets of a particular religion. If you are Muslim, your religion does not have to prohibit vaccines for it to be a true religious exemption. Only your PERSONAL interpretation of your religious beliefs needs to be considered.

Depending on the state you're moving to, you may or may not have to elaborate on the specific vaccines to which you oppose and why. Some states require that in order for a religious exemption to be acceptable, you must object to the PRACTICE of vaccination, and not just certain vaccines based on the substances in them. The latter, in some states, constitutes a philosophical exemption and in states that do not accept philosophical exemptions, your letter could be denied.

However, you need not name a specific religion to which you subscribe, nor do you need to provide religious textual evidence to support your belief. You merely have to state in clear language that it is a deeply/sincerely held belief.