Texas passes philosophical exemption for vaccinations

[Guest guest]

This is a blog about the relatively new Texas Philosophical Vaccine

Exemption Law ... there is some good info below explaining about vaccine

laws, exemptions and parents rights to not vaccinate if they choose ...

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

http://www.caerdroia.org/116/archives/000351.html

 

July 08, 2003

 

 

Texas passes philosophical exemption for vaccinations

 

 

On the Fourth, a lady we had never met struck up a conversation with us.

She was a former public school teacher, and is currently some sort of

educational diagnostician. She started the conversation by telling us

how upset she is that Texas

<http://www.vaccineinfo.net/alerts/conscientious_exemption.shtml> has

passed a new vaccine exemption law. She seemed to feel that this was

going to result in parents denying vaccinations in droves. She

prophesied a return of measles and polio. She spoke of this exemption as

a law that makes it " no longer a requirement " for public school.

 

She's operating under several misconceptions here. Let's look at what

this exemption does, and does not do, and what the passage of it really

means.

 

All public school students are required to have a set schedule of

<http://www.vaccineinfo.net/exemptions/tact25p1s9763.shtml> vaccines

before they can be enrolled in school. All states have a medical

exemption for these vaccines; if your child has a medical reason why

getting the vaccine would be dangerous, your doctor can sign a medical

exemption for you. Your child can then attend public school without the

required shots.

 

The vast majority of states have religious exemptions as well, though

these are often difficult to get. Claiming a religious exemption usually

means you have to abstain from all vaccines as part of your religious

beliefs. Parents who claim a religious exemption must show some kind of

documented evidence of this religious belief, which often leads to

officials grilling parents on their religion.

 

Less than 20 states offer parents a philosophical or

<http://home.san.rr.com/via/STATES/vaxexemptions.htm> conscientious

exemption to childhood vaccines. This exemption allows parents to make a

statement that giving their child the recommended vaccines conflicts

with their philosophy. In Texas, the exemption is worded such that

parents may object to all vaccines, or some.

 

The first important point to realize here is that this law will not

change the requirements for public school entry. Upon entering school,

children will still be required to have the all the currently required

vaccines, and to show proof of vaccination. That will not change. What

will change is that parents who have concerns

<http://www.vaccineinfo.net/index.shtml> about vaccines will now have an

option that allows them to exercise their right to manage their

children's health as they see fit, while still being able to have their

children attend public school.

 

In order for a parent to utilize the new exemption, the parent will have

to write to the Department of Human Services to request the appropriate

form. Once the form is filled out, it must be notarized; then it can be

entered into the student's school records. This is not something that is

going to be used by parents who don't vaccinate because they are

poor/uneducated/don't know/don't care/want to take the easy or cheap way

out. This is going to be used by parents who have done their research

and have decided that the best interests of their children lie in a

different direction than that mandated by the state.

 

Ironically, this exemption will help some parents get more vaccines for

their children. A state with only religious and medical exemptions locks

its citizens into an all-or-nothing approach. This

philosophical/conscientious exemption will allow parents the freedom to

choose some vaccines, while declining others.

 

Will we have a return to widespread measles and polio? Highly unlikely.

The only cases of polio in the area come from the vaccine.

<http://www.drreddy.com/shots/polio.html> And other states (including

all the state that border Texas) have had this exemption in place for

years, without drastic increases in disease incidence.

 

I have always found it interesting that Texas, which traditionally

places such a high premium on individual rights, did not have a

philosophical/conscientious exemption. I am glad to see that such an

exemption has finally passed. My children are not fully vaccinated, by

choice; of course, mine aren't in the public school system so that is

not an issue for us.

 

What I am really happy about is that this same bill included a clause

that prevents health and human services agencies from taking punitive

action against parents who choose to not vaccinate their children.

Parents and children should not be harassed on this issue. The state has

no right to usurp a parent's ability to make choices about health care

for their children.

 

Speaking of that, one of the things this lady said to us was that " ...

now parents don't have to get any vaccines for their children. Except,

of course, for the ones the babies automatically get. "

 

So I helpfully informed her that all vaccines are choices, and that even

the ones for infants can be declined. She was absolutely shocked. She

had no idea. She was appalled. Yes, it's true, folks. The government

does not actually mandate the shots you get for your child. Or any other

medical care. It's up to you. You can decline ANY of it. YOU are in

charge.

 

She left our conversation pretty quickly. My evil side thinks it's kind

of a shame she left before we had even gotten to the topic of

homeschooling ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Just thought I'd add re: philosophical....depending on the person you may also

now argue that you have just recently changed your views on vaccines. I did

this to get out of having my children receive boosters.

 

Since the school and I are not on the best of terms right now anyway they have

not said anything. Or it's possible that not enough time has elapsed for

someone to notice that my kids did not file any 'updated' shots report.

 

Dale

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you Chris !!! Just recently my niece was not allowed to start back to

school (10th grade) because they said she had not had her shot, which she had .

They kept her from starting school for a week until her Mom could get a day off

from work and go get a copy of her shot record.

-

Christine Ziegler<chrisziggy

< >

Wednesday, September 15, 2004 12:13 PM

Texas passes philosophical exemption for

vaccinations

 

 

This is a blog about the relatively new Texas Philosophical Vaccine

Exemption Law ... there is some good info below explaining about vaccine

laws, exemptions and parents rights to not vaccinate if they choose ..

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com<http://www.alittleolfactory.com/>

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hey, Sally!

 

Glad to see you found your way here......I've been SO scarce lately. This post

reminded me that I had to have double shots when I was a kid. My mom said that

my pediatrician (at the time we called them " family doctors " - lol) died just

before I started school, and his wacko wife burned all of his records because he

was experimenting with some medications (my mom swears he had the cure for the

common cold - some sort of elixir he made himself). So I had to go and get

everything except smallpox vaccine again (only because that one left a huge scar

on my leg!).....weird to see that they're still giving people a hard time, but

it's good that your neice didn't have to go through what I did.

 

Cindy

 

 

 

-------------- Original message from " Sally Trew " : --------------

Thank you Chris !!! Just recently my niece was not allowed to start back to

school (10th grade) because they said she had not had her shot, which she had .

They kept her from starting school for a week until her Mom could get a day off

from work and go get a copy of her shot record.