How can kids that have parents who refuse to immunize them start school?

Question

I know where I live if your kid is even behind on 1 shot they will NOT allow the child to begin until he/she gets that shot.

I don't know about everywhere else, but in Michigan they are required.

I DO immunize my kids, but there was a story on the news about a little town in Indiana I think that 1/2 the town had problems and were hospitalized because most of them refused to immunize their kids.

Ofcourse I immunize my kids!

Answer 1

I live in Washington State and am a Kindergarten teacher. All students need to be immunized before school starts, but any parent, anywhere in the United States, can refuse immunizations if they say that it is against their religion. If they claim this, then there children never have to have immunizations. It's scary and sad, and many parents choose this because of cost and time when there is not real objection to religion, but there isn't a lot we can do about it. We've had some real wierd illnesses run through our school lately because of the high amount of children coming from foreign countries and the lack of immunizations.

Answer 2

Some states allow exemptions. You can get religious, philosophical or medical exemptions depending on where you live.

Some kids have conditions that mean certain vaccines would be a bad idea for them to take.

Some vaccines that are newer (like chicken pox) are only just now becoming "required" so that the lower grades may have had the vax but not the upper grades.

EDITED TO ADD:
Someone tell me where the logic is in this previously posted statement please, "I don't think any kid that has not got there immunizations can start school because immunizations are necessary. If they allowed it and one of those kids got measles or mumps, the whole school would be on lock down." If immunizations are really so effective, why would the rest of the school who had been vaccinated need to be on lockdown? If "the herd" has been vaccinated, what is the REAL risk from a child who is not vaccinated who contracts something like measles or mumps?

Answer 3

You can refuse to have your kids immunized but in my state (Ky) they are required to have them before they start school. You have to provide proof that they have had them. I would say that if they haven't then they would be required to start them immediately. I would much rather see my infant have a shot and cry a little than try to hold down my kindergartner and watch him cry. The baby will not remember the shots, the kindergartner will. I think that people who don't immunize their kids are crazy. The immunizations keep them from getting ailments that could be life threatning. Some people think that they cause autism, I don't believe that for a minute. They are doing their children a great injustice by not immunizing them.

Answer 4

Yes, you can refuse immunizations for whatever reasons you wish. They count on the majority of kids being immunized to keep diseases from reappearing so even the unimmunized ones are somewhat protected by the majority of children who do get vaccines.

Some families have a history of problems with immunizations and therefore refuse certain ones. I know of one family who had problems with one type in their children (don't know which one) but none of the kids in that extended family have those particular vaccines.

Myself, I refuse letting my kids take the triple whammy MMR. They get each immunization separately. The MMR includes a mercury-derived preservative (but the individual shots don't) and since we have autism in our family, we elect not to get MMRs but get Measles, Mumps, and Rhuebella individually.

Some research has shown a link between MMR and autism spectrum disorder, other research has refuted it. So I just take the safer route and get the multiple immunizations. It doesn't hurt and my kids are still directly protected from disease (unlike the kids without shots who are indirectly protected because of the rest of the kids).

Answer 5

I am in Michigan and just like every state in the union immunizations are recommended not required! no one can force you into injecting something into your child that may harm them.

wavers are available to anyone that asks for any reason

children that have no shots pose no threat to children that have them (even if an immunized child caught a disease the immunized child is still immunized...)

Answer 6

You can refuse to get them based on personal beliefs. They can't refuse to school children, it's discrimination, but it doesn't stop them from telling you that to keep people from simply skipping shots. If that unvaccinated child gets sick it's his parents risk all the other kids should be immune unless Their parents refused shots too.

Answer 7

I don't think any kid that has not got there immunizations can start school because immunizations are necessary. If they allowed it and one of those kids got measles or mumps, the whole school would be on lock down.

Answer 8

I thought immunizations are not required , although i thought you had to get your booster before Kindergarten. I know some people dont do this, and i think its a little bit of a debate.

Answer 9

Well here in Las Vegas shots are needed. In the tenth grade i was behind on some and they were gonna kick me out on so and so day if I didnt go get them. Got em and everything was fine.

Answer 10

You have the right to refuse imunizations for your children. What you have to do is write a letter that it is against your religion to get the shots.