Home Study and Vax

[Marcimama]

I know I read this before on here, but can't find it.

We have to have a physical for all family members and it asks... "Are all vaccinations up to date?"

How should we approach this?

Our older 2 have selected vax and our younger one none at all. 

Do we just state that? It can't disqualify us can it?

[ChristyMarie]

We just turned in our exemption form with the medical forms.  Nothing was ever said.

[RedOakMomma]

We do delayed vaccinations.  In our case it was the doctor that had to answer that question on our med. forms.  Since he's on board with our decisions to delay vax, he checked "yes," that (I assume, according to our agreed-upon schedule?) our children's vaccinations are up to date.

[tiffani]

I don't think our medical form asked about vax's... must be particular to your agency, in which case, can you ask them about it? USCIS won't deny you, and I doubt your homestudy agency would deny you based on that alone, but I'd try to have a frank discussion with your homestudy social worker about why you don't vax/haven't done the recommended schedule, etc.  It wasn't even asked during our homestudy...

good luck!!

[tiffani]

and if it is an issue, you can request a different homestudy social worker, or a different homestudy agency altogether. 

[heatherdeg]

What you're likely to catch nonsense about is better determined by your state's vax laws.  Do you have philosophical exemption in your state?  Because that's the only real scenario where selective vaxing appears to be legal.  I didn't say "acceptable", I said "legal".  In places that have religious exemption (which is all but 2 states of the country) the mindset is that you either religiously oppose them all or you don't.  I suspect that you could make a case for religious exemption in a homestudy situation where you say that you are opposed to specific ones.  I've seen where people do that.

I don't think they could disqualify you, but stranger things have happened.  The further from mainstream you are, the more closely they might scrutinize.  Not to say that what they find will be disagreeable to them--just that they'd look a little further into it because it's different and not the norm.

In NJ, people who delay/select generally don't disclose and claim religious exemption.  The problems arise when they ask the dr. to fill out the forms with the past immunizations.  We're medically exempt and have had this problem (since the exemption came after his 6mo shots).  Once you have them at all, the status comes under a lot of scrutiny.

Are you going through the state?  Or an agency?  Because agencies may find a better workaround.  My experience is predominantly with the state, FWIW.

[ariahsmum]

Whenever I am asked (including on my homestudy stuff) if vaxes are "up to date" I just say an emphatic yes.  

To us, they are up to date.

I found out a few years ago that answering directly was the best route... and leaves out any conversations I'd rather not have.