CT Flu vaccine exemption???

[jenniferl]

Just found out that day cares and preschools in CT are requiring kids under 5 to have the flu shot.  Anyone know more info and how to get an exemption? 

[MindfulBirth]

Your only vax exemption choices in CT are medical or religious.  That being said, it is easy enough to get a religious exemption without having to actually explain or prove your religious convictions.   What you will have to do, however, is let your pediatrician know that you will not be doing any more vaxes from here on out (due to your "religious" epiphany).  **please note that some pedi's will dump you at this point**  Then you simply ask the school for the religious exemption to sign.  You will just need to sign your name once a year.  In the vax section of the school health form you can fill in any previously given vaxes (this *may* allow your child to remain in class if there is a breakout in the school of something he/she has already been vaxed for) and then note that as of Nov 2011 you are claiming religious exemption.

[Coralstrr]

Is there any way to get around all or nothing with the vaccines in CT? I'd prefer to selectively vax my kids and I feel really backed into a corner with this flu shot requirement.

[clovergirl]

Originally Posted by Coralstrr 

Is there any way to get around all or nothing with the vaccines in CT? I'd prefer to selectively vax my kids and I feel really backed into a corner with this flu shot requirement.

There's not really, unfortunately.  Because CT does not have a philosophical exemption if you are selectively vaccinating you may be scrutinized as to why your religious beliefs "allow" for some vaccinations but not others.  It's easier of course if you stop vaccinating all together or are not sending your children to daycare or school.  In that case you may never be questioned as to why your children are not "up to date".  Medical exemptions do allow for you to have some vaccinations but not others, however they are hard to get (most be signed off by a doctor) as you really have to have a medical reason for not receiving that vaccination (the most common is a anaphylactic allergy to a vaccine ingredient). 

I have heard of some people who selectively vax claim a religious exemption and try to "get around it" by leaving out their vax records on daycare/school forms.  So basically, declaring to the school or whatever that the children have received no vaccinations at all.  I'm not sure how that would work though, because it seems you would need to have a doctor who was OK with signing off on their health records that way (with information essentially being omitted).

[blessedwithboys]

The only problem with that advice, clovergirl, is that most (if not all) states have a registry.  In my state, if you had some vaxes, the doctor would register them and then the school would get your exemption, go to register it (and renew each year) and you be caught cheating.  The penalty for that in my state is having to get caught up right away or homeschool.

OP, if you're gonna go the route of using an exemption while selectively vaxing, you'll have to go out of state to get the vaxes.

[clovergirl]

Originally Posted by blessedwithboys 

The only problem with that advice, clovergirl, is that most (if not all) states have a registry.  In my state, if you had some vaxes, the doctor would register them and then the school would get your exemption, go to register it (and renew each year) and you be caught cheating.  The penalty for that in my state is having to get caught up right away or homeschool.

OP, if you're gonna go the route of using an exemption while selectively vaxing, you'll have to go out of state to get the vaxes.

Yes, that's true.  In CT there is CIRTS, however, you can opt your child out of it.  I did so with my last two children who were born in CT. 

I just looked it up though and even if your child is enrolled it sounds like a school cannot access those records... here's a clip from their FAQ page:

5.Who has access to the information in CIRTS?

CT state law requires that information in CIRTS be kept confidential.  Only you, your doctor, or health care workers who can assist you with missed appointments or missed immunizations have access to CIRTS.  The information will not be shared with any other people or any other agency.

So again, if you have a doctor who would be willing to sign off on a school physical without putting vaccination information on it it looks like you would be in the clear with claiming an exemption in that regards.  From what I understand, in CT there is no true forced vaccination; in the case of an outbreak of a disease your child is not vaccinated for, a school/daycare can force a quarantine of your child for the duration of the outbreak (ie, they will not be allowed to go during that time).  The alternative is that you concede to vaccinating at that point so they can get back in sooner.  But they cannot keep your child out forever "just because".

[dkzmom]

Have you considered homeopathic immunizations?  That may be a compromise, since you want some vaccines, but not others.  They don't 'count', so you could still do the religious exemption. Since naturopaths are licensed in CT, it shouldn't be too hard to find a doc to administer them. 

[Coralstrr]

See the way I'm thinking is that it's up to me to make choices that may or may not be a sin (I'm Catholic BTW) people make those choices every day. Each vaccination carries it's own risks and benefits. some risks I may be willing to repent for and other I may not be willing to repent for. It's my soul how can the state/local government make any type of decision on a relationship between me and God. I don't know how that would hold up but I was never intending on lying to file a religious exemption. But someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[SSmom2toby]

Okay, I feel like an idiot! I hadn't even considered future vaccinations!!  I filed a religious exemption for DS this year b/c I truly do not believe in the flu vaccine, but I plan to get him vaccines in the future.  Where do I go from here!?!