Vaccine FAQs
This
FAQ answers some of the most common questions I hear from
participants at Vaccine Workshops:
Q:
If I refuse immunizations, can my child still attend school
or day care?
A:
Yes.
There are immunization exemptions in every state which
allow parents to choose where or not to have their children
immunized. What is required is that the parent follow the
law in their state when using an exemption. That may mean
wording their own letter to the school or day care
following the pattern of the exemption law or getting a
pre-printed letter, if the school or day care has one.
As long as the parent follows the directives contained in
the law, the school or day care cannot refuse to allow the
child to attend if they receive any state or federal money.
The parent may need to insist that their rights are
protected if there is a conflict, but the weight of the law
is on the side of the parent. The parent should also be
aware that, in the event of disease outbreak, the school
may insist that their child remain at home until the
outbreak is over.
Q:
Can Child Protective Services remove my child for
non-immunized status?
A:
Not
if you have followed the law in obtaining your exemption.
Medical neglect can only be proven if you refuse to do
anything. In taking the time to inform yourself or the
risks and benefits of both the disease and the vaccine,
taking the time to learn about the requirements of the
exemption and following through in obtaining the exemption,
you have demonstrated that you are not being negligent, but
rather informed.
Q:
Can my doctor refuse to treat my child if we don't
immunize?
A:
If
the immediate concern is an emergency situation, he or she
cannot abandon care. However, in a non-emergency situation,
some doctors have refused to continue care.
You can try to reason with your doctor, but many parents
feel they would rather have a supportive doctor than one
who is not. You may want to call around and ask if your
exemption status will be a problem when choosing a doctor.
You may also check with some of the local alternative
practitioners, midwives, LaLeche or homeschool groups and
health food stores to get a good recommendation.
Q:
What are the requirements if we are leaving the
country?
A:
There
are no immunization requirements for leaving or entering
the country, only recommendations. You may run into some
well-meaning officials who will try to talk you into
getting some immunizations if you are entering a country
where some diseases are endemic. However, you are not
required to take their advice.
If you do choose to take certain immunizations prior to
leaving the country, you need to do so in plenty of time to
ensure that your immune system has time to recover. Various
studies have shown that vaccinations depress the immune
system for up to two months, so you will want to give
yourself at least that much time to recover.
Q:
What about military exemption status?
A:
For
more on this issue, please see the immunization page
on
Vaccines and the Military.
Q:
Can we selectively immunize with a philosophical or
religious exemption?
A:
Yes,
depending on what your reasoning for exemption is. You may
choose to refuse those immunizations which contain certain
chemicals, use aborted babies in the process, or for which
you feel that your risk is very low. That would leave you
the option to choose to receive others.
Some families do choose selective immunization. They may
only do tetanus if they are concerned about wound care.
They may choose to only immunize against diseases they feel
present a significant risk, especially if traveling to a
country where some diseases are endemic and sanitation
conditions are low. Or, they may choose to use the
exemption and wait until the child's immune system is older
and more likely to be able to handle the assault.
Q:
If our child has a bad reaction to a vaccine, what can we
do?
A:
If
your health care provider will not fill out an Adverse
Events Report, you can! Report forms are found in the
Physician's Desk Reference or on the
VAERS site.
Be sure to fill out the most serious reactions first,
rather than in chronological order. The VAERS form includes
instructions and a postage-paid mailer. If you are not sure
how to fill out the form, be sure to request help.
Q:
How can we convince our family we aren't
crazy?
A:
You
may never be able to completely allay their fears. As more
and more information on risks comes out, though, you may be
able to provide plenty of documentation to backup your
decision. You may want to help them understand by giving
them some of the information that helped you decide, if
they are open to looking at it. Otherwise, you may just
have to agree to disagree.
Contact
Information:
Kathy
Barr, CCD, CCCE, CCM, BE, PE, CVE, Traditional Naturopath
817-819-8457
