PA and vaccine exemptions - Page 2

[mamajake]

Cross out the section of the form where the vaccine history would be written and check the exemption box. This prevents the doctor from writing anything there and is explicable as YOU and NOT THE DOCTOR take the ethical exemption. Whether the doctor provides a vaccine history is YOUR CHOICE.

I have been doing this in PA for three children for a dozen years and have never once been questioned about it by any school, school district or doctor.

Originally Posted by mirlow

I'm also curious if others have done this? We are now transitioning to private schools from homeschooling and I was looking at the medical form for the schools and I'm wondering if this is an all or nothing statement we need to make with the exemption? I stopped the vaccinations about 13 years ago. I'm still trying to figure out if we are not going to do any more or not?
Will the dr. fill in the vaccines we did way back when (we are in a new state with a new dr since vaccinations), or will she just check the exemption box? Their ped was pushing the chicken pox and tetanus so I have to make decisions and I would like to know (so I can make peace with it) it this is going to be an all or nothing deal with the shots?
Thanks!

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by harli

If I were you I would tell your doctor that the hep B shot contains neurological toxins that have been linked to MS. So even if there were no evidence of Hep B vax being linked to MS (this seems to be up for debate in the vax'ing community) you still don't feel comfortable exposing your dd to it especially since it did bring on your symptoms. I would also bring with you Dr. Sears Vaccine Book and turn to pg 56 where it lists MS as a neurological reaction to the vaccine and it also says

"(has been reported to occur after the hep B vaccine; people with MS are cautioned in the Engerix package insert to get the vaccine only if their risk of exposure to hep B warrants it)

So I DO think you have cause for a medical exemption. I hope that helps you fight the doctor a bit.

wow, thanks for the info, I had no idea this was in the Dr. Sears book! I think that will help a lot.

Originally Posted by Hopefulmama

I am in the same situation as you are. My DD has all of the vaccines except for Hep B.

Here is an excerpt from the PA Code:
(b) Religious exemption. Children need not be immunized if the parent, guardian or emancipated child objects in writing to the immunization on religious grounds or on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.

I simply wrote a brief letter quoting the code and said that we as parents have a strong moral and ethical conviction that prohibits us from having our daughter vaccinated for Hep B. Noone questioned us. It was not a big deal at all. Generally I've found that if you quote the code, then there is not much they can argue with. It's not really their business what your moral or ethical reasons are. Good luck!

Good idea. It's great to hear of someone else who has had everything except Hep B.

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by mamajake

Cross out the section of the form where the vaccine history would be written and check the exemption box. This prevents the doctor from writing anything there and is explicable as YOU and NOT THE DOCTOR take the ethical exemption. Whether the doctor provides a vaccine history is YOUR CHOICE.

I have been doing this in PA for three children for a dozen years and have never once been questioned about it by any school, school district or doctor.

So that is another option if necessary. I could just give no info at all on any of the vaccines.

[phillytwinmama]

I always thought that if the school was private, they are not required to take any religious exemption, only medical. I think in this case, the OP's best option would be medical.

[KarenEMT]

Originally Posted by phillytwinmama

I always thought that if the school was private, they are not required to take any religious exemption, only medical. I think in this case, the OP's best option would be medical.

It truly depends upon the school. My children attend a small nondenominational Christian school in PA and religious exemptions are accepted without a blink. I'd estimate that approx. 30-40% of students at our school are not vaxed, for various reasons.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by phillytwinmama

I always thought that if the school was private, they are not required to take any religious exemption, only medical. I think in this case, the OP's best option would be medical.

Yup, I agree with KarenEMT. The only schools I have heard of refusing religious/ethical exemptions in PA are Catholic schools. Private schools can refuse either exemption by refusing kids who take the exemptions. Whether exemptions (medical or not) are accepted is done locally even with public schools. Public school districts decide whether a medical exemption is sufficient.

[Phoenix~Mama]

subbing for future reference

[Mom2M]

Good news!
We attended an informal get together at the school yesterday and I mentioned this to the director of the lower school and asked her whether I should contact the school nurse or someone in charge of medical records.
She said there should be no problem, just check the exemption box.

ETA She also mentioned that the school is much more relaxed than public schools regarding medications like tylenol, etc...Did you know that a public school (in my area at least) will not hand out cough drops!

[mamajake]

Yay! This is one of the few things in PA that usually turns out to not be as big a deal as it appears to be.

[mirlow]

Originally Posted by mamajake

Yay! This is one of the few things in PA that usually turns out to not be as big a deal as it appears to be.

I think you're right. I know I can worry, and then I remind myself I'm not doing anything wrong. I guess if you've every been hassled it can stick with you. You just have to be strong

I've decided to continue to put off all vaccines and boosters. What I don't understand is the selective vaccination in this state? If it's an all or nothing package then why would my dr. push certain vaccinations, or should I say recommend the ones she thinks my kids should at least get if I do decide to vaccinate? Wouldn't I then need to go back and get all the vaccines they didn't get when they were younger?

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by mirlow

I think you're right. I know I can worry, and then I remind myself I'm not doing anything wrong. I guess if you've every been hassled it can stick with you. You just have to be strong

I've decided to continue to put off all vaccines and boosters. What I don't understand is the selective vaccination in this state? If it's an all or nothing package then why would my dr. push certain vaccinations, or should I say recommend the ones she thinks my kids should at least get if I do decide to vaccinate? Wouldn't I then need to go back and get all the vaccines they didn't get when they were younger?

Remember your doc likely doesn't know anything about the exemption law. Your doc is going to make medical recommendations you may or may not agree with and may or may not decide to follow but it is not connected to the exemption.

If the school district is faced with a medical form that shows selective vaccination, it can reject the exemption and the exemption law would support that decision. The wording requires you object to vaccination, not to a particular vaccine. I have never looked at the legislative history on the religious exemption, but I would be surprised if the draftors even thought about selective vaccination.

As far as deciding to get vaccines when kids are older, I have, for example, thought about getting my boys vaxed for mumps if they live in a dorm if/when they go to college. Using my own risk/benefit analysis, that vaccine may be appropriate for that situation. There is no need to go back and get vaccines that are given to younger kids because even assuming there is a reason to get the vaccines, you don't "catch up" with vaccines. There is an increase in mumps cases in college dorms both because of the living conditions and because even kids who have gotten mumps vaccine as younger children no longer have whatever antibody they received from the vaccine. No vaccine lasts forever. Or, more accurately, no vaccine protection last forever.
Side effects can be permanent (but that is for another forum area ).

Does that make sense?

[mirlow]

Thanks mamajake that makes a lot of sense to me now. For some reason I thought I have heard from others in my area that they have done some selective vaccinating? Although I must not have been paying attention or perhaps they just stopped and were contemplating doing more in the future?

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by mirlow

Thanks mamajake that makes a lot of sense to me now. For some reason I thought I have heard from others in my area that they have done some selective vaccinating? Although I must not have been paying attention or perhaps they just stopped and were contemplating doing more in the future?

I think there are a lot of selective vaccinators who use the ethical/religious exemption. At the time we check the exemption box, we are attesting to our belief at the time we check the box. But we may have held another belief in the past and might hold another in the future.

[tammyswanson]

According to Dr. Mendelsohn's book "How To Raise a Healthy Child IN SPITE of your doctor", even if a boy would get mumps, he claims that mumps usually affects only one testicle, not both.

[mirlow]

I have a well check up for my ds tomorrow. I need to get the school health forms for my younger two done while I'm there. This will be my third visit to see this dr. and thanks to the advice above I can now tell her about how the exemptions work since she tried to push certain shots for my other two.

My question is on my oldest dd's health form there was an exemption box. My younger two are going to a different private school and they use the Philadelphia SD form and there is no exemption box to check. In fact it states you must have the vaccines done and no word of any exemption. I'm not going to have an issue with the exemption at this school. I'm just wondering how to handle going into the well visit tomorrow. Should I just cross out the space for vaccinations so the dr. can't fill in anything? I've got my exemption letter ready to hand in with the form.

BTW I didn't have any problem with the exemption for my oldest dd.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by mirlow

I have a well check up for my ds tomorrow. I need to get the school health forms for my younger two done while I'm there. This will be my third visit to see this dr. and thanks to the advice above I can now tell her about how the exemptions work since she tried to push certain shots for my other two.

My question is on my oldest dd's health form there was an exemption box. My younger two are going to a different private school and they use the Philadelphia SD form and there is no exemption box to check. In fact it states you must have the vaccines done and no word of any exemption. I'm not going to have an issue with the exemption at this school. I'm just wondering how to handle going into the well visit tomorrow. Should I just cross out the space for vaccinations so the dr. can't fill in anything? I've got my exemption letter ready to hand in with the form.

BTW I didn't have any problem with the exemption for my oldest dd.

All schools in PA, regardless of whether they are public or private, are reporting to the PA Dept of Health. So if you used the PA Dept of Health physical exam form - which does have the exemption box and you can just cross out the lines for vaxes - they shouldn't make a fuss. But you could also write your exemption in on this form and cross out the vax section.

Your doc doesn't get to dictate whether you take the religious/ethical exemption. You could also just attach a sheet stating the exemption. Easy peasy.

[Mom2M]

It should be no problem. Our dr just prints off the list of vaccinations instead of filling them in anyway. Just write see attached, they won't write anything unless you ask for it.

By the way, I meant to come back here and update. I handed in the health form and attached the list of vaccinations that we did get without any explanation.
The school nurse called and asked about them and I said oh, we aren't doing them. She said ok, could you just write a note stating that you are morally objected and send it in with DD. No problems at all!

[mirlow]

I had no problem with exemptions at the beginning of the school year.  I don't really have a problem now I'm just looking at how to handle a situation.  My 15 year old got the chicken pox.  We were (are still) out of state when she caught them.  My dh contacted her advisor at school to let her know my dd would be missing school all this week.  One of the things her advisor mentioned was that she would contact the school nurse.  The nurse was happy to know that she didn't have to send an alert out since we were out of town!  The thing is the nurse has now asked for her immunization records, but we filed an exemption.  I do have my dd's records from her shots from many years ago.  Should I, or do I have to give her my daughter's shot records?  BTW the school nurse is very nice. 

[amymaew]

When my son got the chicken pox they did send out an alert b/c he was in school when he got them.  I never had to send in his shot record - when the nurse asked the next time (I can't remember if it was at the beginning of the next school year or when) I just smiled and said I have a religous/ethical exemption and she said 'oh, right.'  Getting an exemption in PA is easy - in my school district you just flip the card over, check the box, and sign it.  I didn't even write anything out for him.
 

Originally Posted by mirlow 

I had no problem with exemptions at the beginning of the school year.  I don't really have a problem now I'm just looking at how to handle a situation.  My 15 year old got the chicken pox.  We were (are still) out of state when she caught them.  My dh contacted her advisor at school to let her know my dd would be missing school all this week.  One of the things her advisor mentioned was that she would contact the school nurse.  The nurse was happy to know that she didn't have to send an alert out since we were out of town!  The thing is the nurse has now asked for her immunization records, but we filed an exemption.  I do have my dd's records from her shots from many years ago.  Should I, or do I have to give her my daughter's shot records?  BTW the school nurse is very nice. 

[mamajake]

I would politely remind the nurse that you had filed an exemption. That should lead the nurse to believe there are no vaccination records. Old vaccination records for a 15 year old aren't medically meaningful anyway. But I would be uncomfortable alerting the school to the fact that at one time you vaccinated. It raises a discussion you want to avoid - the "if you have an objection that allows you to take the exemption, why did you *ever* vaccinate." question. There is no law I am aware of on selective or partial vaccination and the PA exemptions. While I think it is perfectly reasonable to say "I developed the objection after giving my child vaccines," it isn't a debate I would want to have with the school.

Hopefully, once the nurse is reminded that you have filed an exemption, she won't push the records issue.

HTH.