It’s that time of year again. The kids are going back to school. And with that comes back-to-school shots.
It was hard for me to read all the posts on Facebook leading up to school shots.
“Just brought Sally in for her Kindergarten shots. I don’t know who cried more, me or her”
“School shots today. Not looking forward to this”
I would think to myself, “Why did you do it then?”
No Shots, No School is simply Not True.
If you don’t feel comfortable giving your child shots to enter school, you don’t have to. It’s that simple.
The decisions we make for our children should be one of peace. Not decisions that cause agony. Our based on fear.
One of the most tragic things I hear a parent tell me is: “I didn’t want to give my child shots, but we had to so they could go to school” NO! This is simply not true.
As parents, we still own our instincts and our choice. No-one can take that from us. At least for now. Some states are in major crisis. More on that later.
We are part of a system that has done a very good job making parents believe the lie that shots are mandatory for school. When we hear information regarding school vaccinations, all parents hear is that unless their child gets his shots, he will not be allowed to go to school. This is NOT true.
Exemptions
In the book, Vaccination is NOT Immunization, written by Dr. O’Shea he shares:
Mandated means that there are laws about something.
Mandatory means you have to do something or other. Two entirely different concepts. Vaccines are mandated, but they are not mandatory, as school officials like to pretend.
There are exemptions from vaccination, in every state. Mississippi & West Virginia are the only states that don’t allow Religious and only allow Medical exemptions.
1. All states have a medical exemption.
2. All states allow a religious exemption to vaccination except California, Mississippi and West Virginia.
3. Philosophical exemption. The following 17 states allow exemption to vaccination based on philosophical, personal or conscientiously held beliefs: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Proof of Immunity
Some states will allow exemptions to vaccination for certain diseases if proof of immunity can be shown to exist. Immunity can be proven if you or your child have had the natural disease or have been vaccinated. You have to check your state laws to determine which vaccines in your state can be exempted if proof of immunity is demonstrated.
Private medical laboratories can take blood (a titer test) and analyze it to measure the level of antibodies, for example, to measles or pertussis that are present in the blood. If the antibody level is high enough, according to accepted standards, you have obtained proof of immunity and may be able to use this for an exemption to vaccination, so your child does not need their umpteenth booster shot.
Every school is required by law to provide exemption forms. But they don’t. You must know about your state’s exemption form before you go in. And most of the time, you end up teaching the school officials about a law they don’t know exists.
*To learn more about vaccine laws and what each exemption means, read (HERE)
*Vactruth writes an article titled: “Your Child Does NOT Have To Be Vaccinated To Attend School, Here’s Why…“, you can read that article (HERE)
*One of the most thorough sites I’ve found where you can click on your State and find sample exemption forms, sample exemption letters, etc… Click (HERE)
Marcella Piper-Terry is the founder of VaxTruth.org and the brain behind the amazing billboard campaign: NO SHOTS, NO SCHOOL, NOT TRUE. Her message is reaching far and wide.
http://vaxtruth.org/
I overheard a conversation at my children’s school during registration this year.
School Official: “You are not going to be able to register your child for Kindergarten today until his shot record is up-to-date.”
Momma: “I’m not going to be able to get him caught up on his shots before school starts.”
School Official: “I’m sorry, you won’t be able to register for school.”
Me: “That’s actually not true. Your child can register for school today. You just need to fill out the exemption form.”
Momma: “I don’t necessarily need an exemption form. My husband lost his job and we don’t have insurance so we can’t afford to get him caught up on his shots.”
School Official: “Sorry, you won’t be able to register for school today”
Not only was what that mother lied to (that her child couldn’t register for Kindergarten without an up-to-date shot record), but she also wasn’t told about her required-by-law option (that there are exemptions). My question is, how has this lie perpetuated so far and so deep that even school officials don’t know any better? And why are children being DENIED an education for a “law” that doesn’t really exist? In my state and at that school, all the mother had to do was sign the exemption form. She was not told the truth. There is something very wrong about that.
Every State is DIfferent
I know in my state, a parent can write their own exemption or simply sign the exemption form provided by the school.
Sample Statement of Exemption:
Under State of ____ Revised Statutes 17:170 Sec E, I hereby claim exemption from the immunization requirement for Philosophical/Personal reasons.
(Statement of dissent for philosophical/personal reasons.)
I understand that in the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease at the location of the educational institution or facility the student attends, the administrators of the educational institution or facility, upon the recommendation of the office of public health, may exclude the student from attendance until the incubation period has expired or I present evidence of immunization.
_____________________________ Student signature
_____________________________ Date
_____________________________ Parent or Guardian’s signature (if required)
In my particular state, it’s that easy!
Unfortunately, it is not that easy in every state.
In fact, this “law” is only getting worse. Right now in West Virginia, there is a very tragic story taking place with a 5 year old girl named Ryleigh. They are denying Ryleigh her education. They told her she could not come back to school because she needed a DTaP booster shot. She’s already received all 4 of her boosters shots, she just received the 4th dose too early (over 3 years early) and they are telling the mother she needs another booster because she got the 4th dose too early. Sounds too crazy to be true right? It is complete insanity what is happening. You can read more of her story (HERE).
I’ve been speaking with (and hope to help work with) the founder of Mississippi Parents For Vaccine Rights. Their hopes & needs are simple. In their own words: “Mississippi parents do not have the legal right to select, delay, or opt-out of vaccines unless they homeschool. There are 48 states that DO allow that right. We want to be the 49th”.
As a parent, I will end with their mission statement, which I think we can all relate to:
“We are a group of loving parents who are pushing for the right to make vaccine decisions for our own children without losing their right to an education. We are not “anti-vaccine”; we are “pro informed consent” and “pro parental rights” to choose what medical procedures our children undergo and when. Some of us have children who are fully vaccinated, others choose selective and/or delay vaccinations, while others have declined all vaccinations for their children. ALL of our decisions have been made in the best interest of our children. We support the right of parents to choose their child’s medical care, without being forced or coerced into accepting vaccinations in order to attend day care or public or private schools.”
HI! Thanks so much for this post! I have vaccinated my daughter up until now. She is due for her one year shots and I am wanting to stop vaccinating her. I am scared that I am making the wrong decision. I’ve been doing a lot of research on the GAPS diet, which has led me to want to stop vaccinating her. Any other books or articles you would recommend I read?
Thank you for getting the word out about this. Its something a lot of people don’t know they have the option to do. I sure didn’t. Now to get WV on board with the other 48 states! I will fight every day for the rights that our state deserves. Thanks for bringing awareness!
there’s a difference between what is legal and what is ethical.
getting our children vaccinated/immunized is doing this:
protecting our child and other children from deadly diseases
telling our children that we beliee in science
creating the herd immunization doctors speak of to avoid epidemcs
modeling responsible parenting for our children.
i believe parents who do not vaccinate/immunize their children are putting their children and others at risk.
seek information–real research in peer-reviewed medical journals and get educated. then get your children vaccinated/immunized.
I am wondering where to start looking for information on what to do in california regarding this. As a parent of two children who are pretty sensitive to foods/dyes/additives, I don’t really want to introduce anything more to them if I dont have to!
Thanks
Mississippi mom here….unless there is an act of God, even a vaccine damaged child will not get a medical exemption in Mississippi, they are next to impossible to get no matter how sick your child is. Please people, if you live in the other 48 states…use your head and learn the real truth for your state’s exemptions and use them. As for the nurse who wouldn’t let the child register and Mom needed to pay for vaccines… are you KIDDING ME..the health dept. here is just dying to vaccinate you child for free most all the time. I can’t believe schools haven’t set up a shot clinic onsite for these kids, they push it so hard. If you ARE in Mississippi and want to avoid vaccines, two things. Keep your mouth shut, CPS can and will be called on you if you get loud. Use the excuse at the peds office, “we are getting X’s shots at the health dept.” this ends the battle in the peds office. Lastly for now, Homeschooling here is a snap. Take advantage of this and homeschool. I wish us all luck in getting laws changed in Mississippi…but I am not holding my breath, blue is not my color…
Hello, Mississippi Dad here
I was thinking about trying to figure out how to get medical exemption, until I read your post. It sounds like you may have already tried. I was also wondering what you meant by using the excuse at the peds office. If I am unable to homeschool, I guess my hands are tied.
Thank you so incredibly much for your diligence in your articles. You are helping us fight a battle that we are uber passionate about. May God continue to bless the work of your hands!
[…] first wrote on this topic in a guest blog post for Modern Alternative Mama, in an article titled “No Shots, No School, Not True”. You can read the original article (HERE), although I’m going to share a lot from it again on […]
If anyone needs assistance, Alan Phillips at vaccinerights.com specializes in legal help in this regard. He also has a weekly podcast on vaccine issues.
[…] first wrote on this topic in a guest blog post for Modern Alternative Mama, in an article titled “No Shots, No School, Not True”. You can read the original article (HERE), although I’m going to share a lot from it again on […]
I feel bad for Mississippi, that they are the ‘model’ of mandatory vaccine laws. No mercy for the vaccine injured and with the worst rates for health to go along with it. They are lucky to have you fight for their rights!
California just passed SB277 and went into effect this past July 2017—must be up to date on shot records or no school/infant centers/daycare’s. Currently medical exemptions are only option, but are not easy to get.