The Center For Infectious Diseases Communicable Disease

Currently, all fifty U.S. states offer a medical exemption from vaccinations. This means that someone could be exempt from receiving one or all of the vaccines based on medical necessity. For example, those who have compromised or weakened immune systems should be able to get a medical exemption. These exemptions require permission from a medical physician and getting them is difficult as most doctors in the mainstream medical community support and encourage vaccinations. There are two other types of exemptions – religious and philosophical. As of October 2016, three states – California, West Virginia, and Mississippi do not offer either of these. They are medical exemption states only. Of the remaining states, 32 of them offer medical and religious exemptions. Only the remaining 18 states offer all three exemptions. These numbers are decreasing as more and

The state of Florida has a selection of laws in place regulating vaccinations and vaccination exemptions, but what drives them? Vaccines against meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis are mandatory for enrollment in the K-20 public education system. An individual enrolled in any postsecondary institution who will be residing in on campus housing must provide documentation of these vaccinations. A majority of parents argue that its unethical to force someone else’s child to be immunized, in any situation. There is a request that can be made for religious requirements, and must be presented to the facility or school on the Department of Health’s Religious Exemption from Immunization form -DH 681 Form-. The DH 681 Form is issued by county health departments and is only for a child who is not immunized because of their family’s religious practices. (nvic.org) The vast majority of parents are so strongly opinionated on whether vaccinations will positively or negatively impact their children, but no one takes into consideration the parents who differ in opinions themselves.

According to the Center’s of Disease Control and Prevention (2012), there are no federal requirements for childhood immunizations. While the CDC (2012) provides recommendations, each state sets their own rules and exemptions for schools and childcare attendance. On June 30, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown of California made history by eliminating the exemption from immunizations due to personal beliefs for children in public or private schools; however, medical exemptions initiated by a DO or MD will still be allowed (Royce, 2015; California Department of Public Health, 2015a). In 2013-2014, there were nearly 17000 personal belief vaccination exemptions in California (Almasy, 2015). Throughout the history of vaccinations very strong opinions for or against immunizations have existed,

Recently, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Vaccination Bill SB 277. This bill no longer has exceptions based on religious or personal-beliefs, and it requires every single child to have the proper vaccinations in order to be allowed into a public or private school. So if parents truly do not want their child to be vaccinated they would have to homeschool them instead. This bill was influenced by the recent outbreak of measles that started at Disneyland and spread very quickly and caused the infection of one hundred and fifty people. California, Mississippi, and West Virginia are the three states that no longer allow non-medical exemptions. This new law goes into effect on July 1, 2016.

In 2012, Dr. Richard Pan, a former assemblyman from Sacramento, proposed a bill entitled ab 2109. This bill caused quite an uproar because it proposed to raise our already world-leading vaccine schedule. The public outrage came because many thought the bill was taking away parent's right to decide what medical procedures and treatments to give to their children. Dr. Pan quickly brushed this off, insisting it would not take away their parental rights to make choices about vaccinations.

I am passionate about this issues. I have worked as an immunization nurse for several years in the state of Maryland. In Maryland there are strict requirements for vaccinating children for school entry. I worked for Prince George’s County and Baltimore County Health Department. In the state of Maryland many children each year are out compliance and therefore are not allowed to attend school until the requirements are satisfied.

Florida needs to act. In the 29ᵗʰ of September 2015, California passed California Senate Bill 277 which states the “bill would eliminate the exemption from existing specified immunization requirements based upon personal beliefs, but would allow exemption from future immunization requirements deemed appropriate by the State Department of Public Health for either medical reasons or personal beliefs” (CSB 277). Florida should not eliminate the personal and religious exemptions of vaccine use, instead, the state should restructure the vaccination system. By offering few mandatory vaccines (agreed upon by all parental, medical and political communities) that are both safe and effective for the wellbeing of the country's young population. Also

In regards to the vaccines currently recommended by the state public health department for entry into public schools, California should enforce these vaccinations by law. However, there may be a few exemptions including religious and medical reasons. If the doctor deems the individual not physically able to withstand the vaccination due to allergies or some other medical reason, then the individual may be excused from receiving the vaccination. It will cause severe symptoms and other health problems to that individual getting the vaccination. Also, if the person’s religion is against receiving medical treatment, then he or she may be exempted because the United States represents religious

In the 1850s the first school vaccination requirement were enacted to prevent smallpox. Federal and state efforts to eradicate measles in the 1960s and 1970s motivated many to mandate policies. By the 1990s, all 50 states requirement for children to be enrolled in school must receive certain immunizations and if these requirements were not met than children were not allowed to be enrolled in school (Center for Disease Control Prevention, 2010). For example, in the state of California, private public school or daycare cannot admit children unless vaccinations were received for all ten of the diseases. If the California Department of Public Health implements a requirement for vaccination parent can be allowed to obtain personal belief exemptions that would allow parents to opt out of vaccination for their children if form is filled out by healthcare professional that states vaccinations were countered to personal beliefs. This law has not been implemented as of yet but should be in 2016. The healthcare of policy decision in laws can have an influence on individuals based on the decision that are made. Health care policy and issues can affect providers and patients in many different ways. Stakeholders’ in the policymakers for vaccination main concern is the safety and health of children so the implement exemptions of laws from concern about vaccine

Likewise, some people should not receive vaccinations. These individuals should not receive vaccinations due to their age, health conditions, among other factors. These other conditions are independent depending on the type of vaccination received. “They can range from an individual who cannot swallow, to a pregnant woman, to a person with a life-threatening allergy, to a component in the vaccination” (Hales 543). A small percentage of individuals do not respond to a particular vaccine. ”All states provide medical exemptions, and some state laws also offer exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons” (State Vaccination Requirements). “Some religions even prevent certain parents from vaccinating their children because of their belief that the disease is a naturally occurring thing and humans have no right interfering with it” (Hales 544). However, most state laws establish vaccination requirements for school children. These laws apply to public schools, private schools, and day care centers. “State laws also establish mechanisms for enforcement of school vaccination requirements” (State Vaccination Requirement). “Vaccines save

Should children’s health be at risk for the greater good of community health? The news today is full of tragic stories about complications of vaccine use and there have been injuries from the beginning of vaccine use due to incomplete data on the side effects. The injuries have also brought about changes in the way vaccines are manufactured. The Georgia State Government requires citizens to receive vaccines in order to attend day care, go to school, and work at certain jobs and each state has its own mandates as well. The only way to get around the vaccine is to claim religious or medical exception. For either of these exceptions, one has to have a notarized affidavit for religious exception or a

Childhood immunizations, such as measles, chicken pox, and polio, are mandatory for school-aged youth and

Immunization via vaccines has been a hot topic of debate in recent years. As with many issues advocates for and against vaccines can be found. The problem that has been identified is that Nevada is one of many states in the country that is considered to be more lenient on vaccination requirements for school aged children. The Nevada school system will take medical and religious exemptions when it comes to vaccinations. All fifty states and the District of Columbia grant medical exemptions to immunization requirements (Blank, Caplan, & Constable, 2013). While medical exemptions are a rational reason as to why children cannot receive certain vaccines the question that is being asked is: whether or not religious exemptions are a good enough reason to not have a child vaccinated? These exemptions can cause an increase in acquiring and

To fully understand the argument for mandated vaccinations, it is important to understand how different States define the word, “mandate,” and the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind upholding vaccination laws. Many would associate the word “mandate” with an order or command, or something that signifies requirement or inexcusableness, but States’

According to the History of Vaccinations currently, “Forty-eight states allow exemptions to vaccination for religious reasons” ( par. 10). Some states statutes indicate that to receive a religious exemption, a family must belong to a religious group with bonafide objections to