vaccination exemption in NM gets tougher! The language has changed, and the philosophical...

[ila735]

Either the NM law regarding exemptions has changed, or somebody mighty scared of chickenpox gave it "another interpretation", but now there is no philosophical exemption, plus you have to formulate and write down your religious reasons if you claim a religious exemption. The language used is not for the faint of heart! 

http://www.immunizenm.org/sched.shtml#exemptions

Edited by ila735 - 7/20/12 at 8:05pm

[jldumm]

I just came on here to see if anyone has any ideas on what to do. 

We don't have religious reasons per se, but we cannot go back and vaccinate my children as they have passed the ages for it.  We delay and selected some of the vaccines.  I am not that eager to vaccinate against chicken pox, hep B, and a few others. My doc has said he will not sign anything. What do we do?
 

[Jewell16]

Your spirtual belief is your own.  If you believe that vaccinated your child or chilren will do them harm then that is your personal belief.  The 1st ammendment of the constitution protects your right to worship freely in whatever your beliefs are.

[Turquesa]

I would seriously be all over my elected officials demanding an explanation and a repeal.* Unelected* officials at your health department apparently have the power to do this, and that power needs to be stripped from them!

If your religious exemption is denied, (yes! Amendment Numero Uno applies to you only if unelected bureaucrats approve...) you can either succumb to these bullies and get the vaxes or get ready to homeschool. I'm not a New Mexican, so this isn't my battle to fight. But I still urge you to get angry and get active!

Are you lurking, Peggy O'Mara? You're a New Mexican. What's your take on this???

[ButtersJCat]

Has anyone wrote one of these letters yet?  Is it better to be very vague, or am I supposed to get detailed as to my religious beliefs and how they prevent me from vaxing?

[MamadeRumi]

Yikes.  I just got online to print out the exemption form for my 2 year old, who will return to daycare in two weeks when I return to teaching, but I see that the form has changed and now I cannot use personal or philosophical objections and I have to specify my religious beliefs.  I have the same questions everyone else happened.  1. What do I do -- be vague or draft some very specific claim that my individually held religious beliefs do not allow for  . . .  ?  What have others done?  Has anyone had their exemption rejected?  I live in Santa Fe and I am far from being the only non-vaxing mom around, so there have to be a lot of us suddenly running into this.  Even if I did suddenly feel O.K. about doing all vaxes (which I don't), I couldn't possibly catch my son up in the next two weeks. 

2  .  How did this happen?  I would have thought in a small, fairly alternative community like this I would have heard some uproar about it, but this is the first I've known about it. 

Thanks for any input.

[8500MntnMama]

I am a former user of these forums, but jumped off several years ago due to a very busy life. Anyway, I'm back and it's this subject that brought me here. I cant believe there isn't an absolute uproar all over this state. I'm not a constitutional lawyer, but it seems obviously unconstitutional for the state to ask you your religious beliefs and then to approve or deny their validity. I have one child in public school and they haven't demanded this form from me yet. But, I know they will sooner or later. I'm not so worried about my homeschooled kids, but even homeschoolers in NM need to be aware that technically these forms are supposed to be in your files.

[jldumm]

Well, we filled out the form with a simple explanation and got denied.  Our appeal is a longer letter describing in detail how this is against our beliefs.  Fingers crossed. or something. I an interested in what others experience is/ has been.
 

[jldumm]

mntnmomma- we were required to submit our vaccine record or expemtion from when we registered for public school.... they made it would like kind of a big deal that we hadn't heard back from santa fe yet.  What city are you in?

mamaderumi- i am with you. How did this happen? i have a friend that sent hers in in July and it was approved under concientious objection.... but i don't know what other people are doing.

[8500MntnMama]

Can you share what you wrote initially that was denied?

[8500MntnMama]

My son goes to a high school in Angel Fire (east of Taos).  I know there are a lot of non-vaccinating families in our state.  I wonder when this is going to get contentious.

[jldumm]

The bible teaches that the parents are entrusted with the care and welfare of the child. (1 Timothy 5:8) Parents not the state are responsible to make health care decisions on behalf of their children.

My appeal was worded MUCH more strongly.
 

[ButtersJCat]

I have sent in my exemption, and had it approved.  I also emailed a few of our state officials.  Today I got a response back that the exemption change was not something that was voted on, but instead came from the Health dept, and that the health department would email me back answering my questions about the change.

*Edited to add*  There were over 3000 philosophical exemptions last school year.  That's a large number of families that need to stand up and fight this... What happens when the health department decides we shouldn't have freedom of religion either, since it doesn't seem that it would have to be voted on in the state to change the exemption process.

Edited by ButtersJCat - 8/22/12 at 8:27am

[acn456]

Congratulations on getting approved. Would you mind sharing what you wrote? 

[ButtersJCat]

This is not word for word... but I basically said Our bodies were made perfect in God's image and because our bodies were made to be temples, the injection of any foreign substance goes against my religious beliefs.  God is the only source of protection that we accept as a family.

[ButtersJCat]

I chose to be as vague as possible when writing mine.  From what I read about religious exemptions in other states, for some states you have to be very vague so that you are not associated with a "mainstream" religion because none of them actually prohibit the use of vaccines. 

[Lisanne]

I came on here to see what everyone else was writing. I filed mine back in July and it just got sent back because I had used the wrong form. I guess they changed it right after I printed it. I love what you said ButtersJCat, but my daughter has had her DTaP and Polio vaccines so I don't think that will work for us. When she registered for school I gave them a copy of the old form and I'm kind of hoping they won't notice and I won't have to deal with this until next year.

[ButtersJCat]

Lisanne - It should still work for you.  Even though you have vaccinated some, your religious beliefs are allowed to change over time.  If you are questioned... Your religious beliefs have changed since you vaccinated, and presently your beliefs prevent you from vaccinating further.

[Phaywood]

I'm a reporter at The Santa Fe New Mexican.I'm looking for sources who have had their religious exemption based requests denied.  If you have, and are wiling to talk please call or write me at [e-mail] or 986-3068. 

Thanks,

Phaedra

[Phaywood]

My name is Phaedra Haywood. I'm a reporter at The Santa Fe New Mexican. I wrote a story that published today about the form change. I am seeking parents on either side of the issue who would be willing to be go on record with their stories/opinions. Please contact me if you are interested. [phone] or [e-mail]. Thank you!