If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 (Part 2)

In the first section, I listed the 8 questions you should ask yourself prior to vaccinating (or not vaccinating) as suggested by the NVIC. Now let's delve into these questions a little deeper...some deeper than others, so forgive me as I begin out of order.

8) Do I know I have a right to make an informed choice?

Let's start with exemptions!

I've come across many people who think that their child can't get into school if they haven't had their shots. This is simply untrue. There are exemptions available to parents who choose not to vaccinate but still enroll their child in school. Each state dictates which exemptions are available in that particular state. The process typically requires you to contact the state for these exemption forms and then have them signed by the parent and notarized by a notary public prior to being turned into the school in which your child is enrolled. Public schools are required to acknowledge and accept these exemption forms, private schools are not.

First is the medical exemption. If your child has a past history of vaccine reaction or he/she has an underlying disease or illness that would increase the risk of vaccine reaction, your child's pediatrician or family doctor (including D.O.s) may be willing to give you a written medical exemption to bypass having to have further vaccinations. Since medical doctors are highly influenced by drug/vaccine manufacturers and procedures passed down for generations in medical school, this is possibly the most difficult exemption to obtain. All 50 states have medical exemption to vaccination.

Next is the philosophical exemption. This is based on your personal or conscientious beliefs in regards to vaccination. In most cases, you must object to all vaccines, not just a select few. Only 18 states have philosophical exemptions to vaccination.

Finally, there is a religious exemption. In most cases, this exemption does not even require you to state what religion you are, but just that it is against your religious beliefs that your child is vaccinated. Some states require a signed affidavit from a pastor or spiritual advisor that affirms the parents' sincere religious belief about vaccination. California, Mississippi, and West Virginia are the only states who DO NOT have religious exemption to vaccination.

Some states also allow proof of immunity as reason to exempt your child from a specific vaccination. Independent laboratories can draw blood and analyze it for antibody levels for a particular illness. For example, if your child has had chicken pox prior to entering school and you choose not to give your child the chicken pox vaccine, rather than obtaining one of the three exemption forms listed above, you can have blood drawn and analyzed to show that your child has high enough antibodies to chicken pox that natural immunity has been obtained.

Later, I'll go even further with information that will help you make an informed decision....vaccine ingredients, the concept of herd immunity, and the manufacturing and marketing of vaccines.