Children are going back to school, and you know what that means. It’s that time of year too for your children to get vaccinated. School is an easy place to catch other people’s germs, so you want to make sure that your children are healthy at the beginning of the new school year. The government requires children to be vaccinated. Each state has different immunization requirements for children in school, and these laws are based on the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations and other healthcare professionals.
The state laws can vary depending on the state, but the majority of states require vaccinations for diseases, such as tetanus, measles, mumps, and many others. Most states also require that the parents or a guardian have proof that the child has received their vaccinations. Children who haven’t gotten their vaccinations won’t be allowed to go to school unless there’s a medical reason or valid objection for not getting vaccinated.
So what are some of the reasons that children can be exempt from getting their vaccinations? The primary reason is for medical purposes and the other is for religious and philosophical beliefs. All states allow for medical exemptions to state immunization requirements, but not all states accept religious beliefs as a valid reason.
Medical exemptions are for children with comprised immune systems, allergies to ingredients in vaccinations, and other severe diseases. On the other hand, most states who object religiously to immunization can ask for an exemption from the state’s immunization requirements, except Mississippi and West Virginia.