The truth about vaccine exemptions

...and what you should know about religious exemptions: You don't have to be religious to get them.

You do not have to have your children vaccinated in order for them to attend public schools in the United States.

This is the secret that some of us have known for several years.

It’s time this secret gets out.

Every state allows exemptions to school vaccine mandates.

Every single one.

Map published by the National Vaccine Information Center.

There are five states that allow *only* medical exemptions, which can be difficult to obtain. They are: California, New York, Connecticut, West Virginia and Mississippi.

The rest of the states allow both medical exemptions and religious exemptions.

Refer to the map above, produced by the National Vaccine Information Center and click on this link HERE to click through on individual states for information about specific state laws.

Some states offer philosophical or conscience exemptions in addition to medical and religious exemptions.

These are the very best states to live in.

For the states that allow only medical and religious exemptions, the important thing to know is that, to get a religious exemption, you do not have to be a member of a religion that opposes vaccines. You do not have to be a member of any religion.

This is crucial.

I did not know this when I first had my son, and assumed I would not be able to get a religious exemption as we are Catholic and the Catholic church does not oppose vaccination.

I was wrong.

Religious exemptions, in states that offer them, must be granted to all those who state that they are requesting an exemption “due to a deeply held religious belief.”

This usually must be stated in writing in a letter submitted to a school, school district or state (check to see what your state laws say).

No letter from a member of the clergy is necessary. Do not get one.

No explanation is needed. Do not give one.

The government is forbidden from asking for an explanation or even asking a single question about your beliefs as this would violate your right to religious liberty under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I have requested and received religious exemptions to school vaccination requirements for my son at both private and public schools in two states: Florida and Indiana. No questions were asked and the exemptions were automatically granted.

It was so much easier than I’d anticipated.

And I didn’t need to write a new letter every year. The same letter was kept on file and was good as long as my son remained in the same school or school district.

Covid-19 vaccine

For the Covid-19 vaccines, there are two states where parents will likely have very limited options when it comes to a state mandate that their children be vaccinated to attend school: California and New York.

Both states allow only medical exemptions, which are difficult to obtain.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced the Covid vaccine will be required for school attendance in the state. This was originally to go into effect this fall, but was pushed back to the fall of 2023.

New York repealed its religious exemption in 2019 and has rigorously enforced state law requiring the MMR vaccine (measles-mumps-rubella) for all kids, fighting parents in a legal case that went on for two years.

A lawyer I once knew in New York named Michael Sussman (not the one involved in the Trump-Russia hoax) represented the parents in this case and fought valiantly on their behalf. Unfortunately, the parents ultimately lost as the appeals court upheld the state’s repeal of the religious exemption.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has made no comment since the CDC advisory committee vote on Thursday but has consistently been pro-vaccine and pro-mask. Only the state legislature can add a vaccine to the list of vaccines required for K-12 school attendance. But both chambers of the legislature in New York are now majority Democrat.

West Virginia also offers only medical exemptions and its governor is rabidly pro-vaccine. But the state Senate president says he and most other state legislators will oppose the Covid vaccine being added to the list of vaccines required for school attendance. In West Virginia, vaccines can only be added to this list by the legislature.

Connecticut also offers only a medical exemption to vaccine mandates, but Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the state won’t require the Covid vaccine and that it will be like the flu vaccine — recommended but not required for children to attend school.

In Mississippi, which is the fifth state to offer only a medical exemption to school vaccine mandates, the state legislature already passed a law banning Covid vaccine mandates in schools. The governor signed that bill into law in April.

It must be noted, however, that pharmaceutical companies have targeted state lawmakers and governors over the last several years and applied heavy pressure on both to impose school vaccine requirements and repeal allowable exemptions.

With the Covid vaccine set to be added to the CDC’s schedule of recommended vaccines, it will be that much easier for them to pressure lawmakers, governors and key people in state health departments to add the Covid vaccines to the “required” list for schools.

The best source of information on state-level vaccine battles is the National Vaccine Information Center. Go HERE to see state-level updates on what laws have been introduced or passed, and to read what can be done to defend medical liberty in your state.