Legally Required Vaccines for Child to Attend School

http://www.vaclib.org/exempt/california.htm
print out the waiver from from the link above. it is 2-sided from. print both sides on one sheet. leave the front empty, sign at the back. submit with other paperwork to school. i did that with both private Montessori and public in Redondo Beach. none questioned it, just asked me where i got the form : ) - they only give one-sided verstion that makes you feel like you have to vaccinate.
Good Luck
V.

Good morning S., you are so right, My kids are all in their 20's and the shots they got, are so few compared to what they are given kids today, think about the commercials, every other commercial is about some disease and medication that we never heard of before, all with side affects. every year they come out with new shots for kids, it's crazy, I say get them what they need for school, even in my daycare with licensing all these shots are not required, just what I call the old school shots. In my daughter's heath any students who got a TB test done or the Garnacil shot got extra credit, they did the shots right there at the college, I'm glad my daughter called me, because I told her no about the Garnacil shot, taking a TB test was fine. One more thing. Autisium is children is linked to Immunization's, their not born with it, in didn't know this, but my son and daughter in law worked with autsitic children, and in their training this is what was taught. I agree with you 100 percent. J. L.

In order to attend public school a child must have on file either their shot record, kept up to date or they can also have a waiver that the school has or you can get from the health department. It must be signed and in the child's school file and that takes the place of the shot record. I have worked in both the medical field, we are used to seeing the waivers and in the education field. School offices are supposed to have the waivers in the office and provide them if a parent asks.

Vaccines are mandated, not mandatory. I LOVE that book, and Dr. O'Shea pointed that out as well. You do not have to give ANY of them to your child. I chased his sources down like he suggests and I've seen him speak in person. I cringe every time I hear a parent to set on vaccinating that they aren't even open to the other side.

The side effects are only small if you consider things like encephalitis, seizures and possible death as being small! This DOES come straight from the PDR and I have spoken to one mother who even waited until her child was older (age 16) who then chose to vaccinate and her son died. I think I'd rather risk measles and treat it with antibiotics than risk losing my son or having him turn in to a vegetable. There are currently close to 2000 lawsuits pending against the FDA and vaccine manufacturers, but those are never shared ... and those are only the ones who have come forward.

All you need to do is sign an exemption form. That's it! Just like they can't not let a student in who doesn't speak English or who wears a head covering for their religious beliefs... your child can't be denied for not being vaccinated.

Congrats on your choice and remain strong. Feel free to email if you ever need some support. You'll get some very nasty people who feel just as strongly the other way.

If you are interested in supporting your son's immune system... check out the benefits of Immuplex by standard process and probiotics. I have my son on both of these... he's 18 months NOT one ear infection and only ONE minor cold which he kicked after one day.

Hi S.,

Good thing questioning anything and everything about vaccines. If you have a sickly child, the last thing you should be doing is vaccinating them as that is a good chance that the vaccines that they already received caused or contributed to the problem and YES you have a choice of three different reasons to sign in the state of CA: philosophical, medical, religion.

Does your child have frequent ear infections, fevers, eczema? Have there ever been any high pitched screams within two days of any vaccinations? Diarrhea? Rashes? These are all symptoms of vaccine injury and the immune system having problems dealing with it. On top of this, did you ever use Tylenol before, during, after vaccinations? The immune system and glutathione production gets put on hold for two days if so. This makes a vaccine must more suptible of passing the blood/brain barrier and injury to the brain can happen, such as autism and seizures.

Please make sure YOU have done the research on vaccinations for YOUR child. The AAP recommended schedule of shots for children is too many, too soon. Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research:

www.909shot.com
www.tacanow.org (go to Medical and see the whole section on vaccines and studies)

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Dr. Kenneth Bock

The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave

Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

BTW - don't let the doctor's office or the school bully you into thinking you are doing something wrong or say to you "why do you want your child to die" or he can't come to school unless he has his shots". I have another soap box here I want to stand on but won't at this time. You are doing what you think is best for your child at this time. Stand tough.

Some states do require vaccinations. Luckily, California is not one of them. You do NOT have to vaccinate your child at all or you can pick and choose which vaccines you'd like for your child. You can sign a waiver for public and private schools. No one can force you to vaccinate.

They do have side effects, so it is important for you to weigh the pros and cons. There are ways to help your child recover from some of the damage that they can cause, should you decide to vaccinate. Dr. Feder is an MD homeopath in Los Angeles who frequently lectures one ways to minimize the damage. She does well baby visits etc. Chiropratic also helps.

Here's her website:
http://www.drfeder.com/

you're silly to not vaccinate. why not? fears something could go wrong. its such a ridiculous percentage of kids who have side effects. lets weight the options. vaccinate with very very tiny side effects or potentially die of a completely preventable disease? hummmmm, seems like a pretty simple choice. or lets see, you could do like the person down in carmel valley who chose to travel abroad with kids who wern't vaccinated, have them bring measles back to their schools and get lots of kids sick (who also wern't vaccinated). hummmmmm, again, pretty simple choice.
sorry to be harsh. i am a scientist who was really torn, but then the thought occurred to me that what if my kid got terribly sick or died from some disease I could have prevented. choice became simple.
:)

You are a very smart mom!!!! Don't do it! Vaccines are not legally required to attend school, at least not in CA. They strongly encourage them, but they are not required by law. There are plenty of reasons you can sign the exemption, and "personal beliefs" are one of them I believe. Fully vaccinated our first son, who ended up with some "sprinkling" of autism, in that he had some signs but not enough to warrant a full blown diagnosis. We have worked long and hard to recover him and get the overload of heavy metals out of his system and fortunately have been successful. Not something I wish on anyone and we had it easy with him as he only had very few signs and was never distinguishable in public. Second son only vaccinated until 6 mos and he developed severe eczema and food allergies that lead to eczema. LUCKILY we stopped at 6 mos with him and he is fine neurologically. Third son, one year old, not vaccinated at all and the healthiest baby ever. Happy, content, no issues whatsoever. TOTALLY the best route to go in my opinion. You can ALWAYS vaccinate later if you are so inclined. No reason to vaccinate before 2 years old. If your son is somewhat sickly already and has immune issues, I WOULD NOT allow any shots to enter his body. Heal his immune system!! Good luck and I commend you on doing your homework. Wish I had 7 years ago instead of allowing my oldest to "take the bullet" for his younger brothers.

My older daughter starts kindergarten next month, and maybe I should find out if there are any kids in her class who aren't vaccinated. I also have 5 month old twins who were preemies and I certainly don't want them getting something beause a kid in my daughter's class didn't get vaccinated. My daughter got all of her vaccinations on schedule, and the twins are also getting them on schedule. Some people will give them to preemies age-adjusted, but that gives them more chance to get the diseases.

Interesting what Jennie V. said:

"Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of pupils with exemptions, so they can be excluded quickly if an outbreak occurs..."

So you ARE worried that your children might be exposed to some potentially harmful diseases? Gosh, I just hope they have the lists correct and up-to-date. Seems like all of those kids should then be in the same class, play on a separate playground, and eat in a separate area to lessen the chance of exposure. God-forbid an unvaccinated child touches the same monkey bars that a child exposed to measles touched...but didn't get sick because they were vaccinated.

Just interesting to think about, and yes, I would be very angry if someone were to get my twins sick (or worse, as another poster pointed out) because they hadn't yet reached the point for a certain vaccination. It is an avoidable thing, yet many diseases are on the rise and will continue to put those with compromised immune systems (and people don't have a choice about THAT) at risk. Think of the long-ranging impact it could have. Thank goodness we didn't expose my dad to something on our recent visit. He's dealing with his latest bout of cancer and definitely has a compromised immune system.

To each his own, but when it impacts others, it's not really to each his own, is it?

Hello, I am a stay at home mom with a boy who is just entering kindergarden. I had him get all vaccinations and he was a sickly child (as you say yours is) and the dr's didn't seem to think that was of any concern. I didn'tknow what I know now.

As far as the school - children are required to take certain vaccinations before kinder and they are very strict about it - and it is very hard to get around this requirement. However, since your son is a "sickly" child and if you decide to vaccinate him. Make sure - he isn't sick when the dr's give him the vaccinations and only do one at a time stay clear of the cocktails/more than one at a time. I know it hurts to see needles go into their skin and see them cry and not be able to help them understand why you are letting these people do this. My son has regressive autism. After the MMR at age 2 1/2 he started regressing and at 3 he was fully regressed.
I don't know if it was the immunizations but what a coincidence.??? He was one of the kids who got the cocktail immunizations - dr's thought it would be great for him... If you do decide to get him immunized do them as seperately as possible and make sure he isn't ill - not even a runny nose. Some immunizations could be given at 5 but dr's want to give it to them at the earliest possible... get very familiar with what you are letting them put inside your kid. Ask allot of questions - do the research before letting your kid be immunized.

Why is your kid sickly? Mine has life-threatening allergies and other ailements, skin and such...

Hope this helps. Best to you. It is surely a scary time - when not even the dr's know if the immunizations are to much for our kids....

Your kids will not necessarily get lifetime immunity from a disease simply because they contract it. It's an old wives' tale. You can contract the same disease multiple times, did you know that? You'd better have the cash for private college and grad school as well if you aren't going to vaccinate. My advice: research all of the diseases that vaccines protect against and prepare yourself to watch your children suffer them and then you can blame yourself because you didn't think it was right to protect them from diseases.

If you are in California you can chose not to vaccinate your child by stating that it is against your personal beliefs.
Here is what is listed on http://www2.sduhsd.net/tp/immunization.html
EXEMPTIONS The law allows (a) parents/guardians to choose exemptions from immunization requirements based on their personal beliefs, and (b) physicians of children to elect medical exemptions. The law does not allow parents/guardians to elect an exemption simply because of inconvenience (a record is lost or incomplete and it is too much trouble to go to a physician or clinic to correct the problem.) See the back of the blue California School Immunization Record (PM 286) for instructions and the affidavit to be signed by parents/guardians electing the personal beliefs exemption. For children with medical exemptions, the physician's written statement should be stapled to the CSIR. Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of pupils with exemptions, so they can be excluded quickly if an outbreak occurs.

There are also a few other exemptions, but this is most likely the one that will apply for your son.

Hope that helps!
C.

S.,

You are in CA - just sign the waiver. The blue form that the school fills out - on the reverse side is the waiver. We've been selective so I've had to sign a waiver for the one's I didn't choose to give. I've had no issues.

If I recall, there is Medical reasons (requires a note from the Dr.), Religous reasons and personal beliefs. However, I did some research and found if you are choosing personal beliefs but are being selective, that they can require you to vaccinate. I'm not 100% sure but I thought I read this somewhere - So far, I haven't had any problems.

Best wishes,
M.

In LAUSD schools you just have to sign a form that says your child is not vaccinated due to religious or personal reasons. It is quite simple. I did not get my daughter vaccinated for chickenpox and it was never a problem once I signed the form. I understand your unease with getting your son vaccinated - I would research what outbreaks, if any, have been at the school you want to send him too - if he has an increased risk of contacting a disease the side effects can outway the risk of being infected. I know this can be a hard choice - good luck - and I'm sure you will choose the right choice for your family.
L.

I agree you should not vaccinate your baby, especially if he is sickly. Both my kids (5 and 6.5) are both really healthy, hardly sick, never on anti biotics, and unvaccinated. My daughter is in public school. The state has an exemption form. You can find it in the attached site, but it was also on the back of the vaccination form from the school, so instead of filling our their vaccination schedule, I signed the back. See the website. Don't belive anyone that says they will not be admitted without vaccinations.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/forms/CtrldForms/pm286b.pdf

Good luck,
D.

I can't tell you what the law requires, but I can tell you that for those that you are legally required to give, you may want to visit an NAET practitioner FIRST, so that you can resolve any issues your child may have with allergic reactions to the shots before they are given. Makes it MUCH easier on your child's system. My NAET doctor (whom I love) is Dr. David Karaba at East West Medical Group in Fullerton. He's fine with you coming to him just for this specific purpose.

Best wishes

M.

The immunization form the school gives you to have filled out has a box on the back that says "I refuse to vaccinate my child based on personal beliefs or religion" or something to that effect. You just check the box, sign it and turn it in. No questions asked.

I do not vaccinate my 3 kids. I actually would prefer they get the disease natually to have lifetime immunity. Shots don't last forever. If parents would learn to keep kids home from school when they are sick we would all be better off. My son got pertusssis from someone who had the shot and continued to send child to school coughing up a storm. I have one in college, high school & elementary school never had any problem getting them in school. Good luck stay strong and do what is best for YOUR child!!

I am impressed that you are brave enough to pose that question! (Very controversial :) ) I was not vaccinated as a child. In a time when that was completely unacceptable, my mother believed that you should allow a child's brain to develop completely first. (Among other things). When I was six a law was passed allowing religious exemption. Your child doesn't have to have any vaccinations. You fill out a form that the school has. It doesn't mean that it has to be part of your religion,just basically a belief that you hold. I know that a lot of people will disagree, but you get to make that decision. We are more careful what our children are exposed to, but I have never been around healthier kids. I guess you would say we make some sacrifices, if you would like more info, just let me know. And just remember, it is your choice! Have a happy wonderful life! :)

California has waivers for schools with regards to vaccinations, based on medical (if your son has an actual allergy to the vaccines or an ingredient in them, such as egg), religious (they can't ask what religion and just because you weren't religious when your oldest was born, or even if your child is partially vaccinated, doesn't mean you can't have a religious awakening later on), and ethical. You simply fill out a vaccination waiver and submit it to the school. Should there be an outbreak of a disease that has a vaccine, you will need to be prepared to stay home with your chil(ren) during the outbreak.

Good for you S.~ The wonderful thing is we live in America and you have the right to choose (whatever you decide) when we are forced into medical decisions it's a scary day indeed. Here is the law info...Best wishes...

The law allows (a) parents/guardians to choose an exemption from immunization requirements based on their
personal beliefs, and (b) physicians of children to elect medical exemptions. The law does not allow parents/
guardians to elect an exemption simply because of inconvenience (a record is lost or incomplete and it is too
much trouble to go to a physician or clinic to correct the problem). See the back of the blue California School
Immunization Record (PM 286) for instructions and the affidavit to be signed by parents/guardians electing the
personal beliefs exemption. For children with medical exemptions, the physician’s written statement should
be stapled to the CSIR. Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of pupils with exemptions, so they can be
excluded quickly if an outbreak occurs...

Here is the website with all the Legalitites..http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cid/Pages/default.aspx...

By the way I am a practicing (Pediatrics my favorite) Homeopath and there is no need for him to be "Sickly" here is my website www.theartofcure.net lets fix your baby up and get him healthy. By the way if you do choose to vaccinate there are homeopathic remedies that help with vaccine reactions. If your into it call me up.

But if your child is sickly, he's also more at risk for the serious illnesses that the vaccines will prevent. My opinion is to get him vaccinated. There are alternate schedules available, such as giving them the vaccines over a period of 3 years rather than 2.

In addition to running into issues at school, you may also find that your doctor will not keep your son as a patient if he does not get vaccinated. (My daughter's dr., for example, will not have patients who are not vaccinated due to the threat they present to other children).

I just sign a form for my kids to be excempt. We live in Spring Valley and my kids go to a homeschool center. God bless you for looking out for you son. My son, had mini seizures after his shots and I stopped them after the second round. My daughter did not get any.

Are you interested in something that would help you son. My son had severe leg pains and is over them.

Let me know.

God Bless!

J.

Hi S.. I have 2 little girls, 4 and 2 yrs old. We chose not to vaccinate either one. They're going to a pre-school now and next year, my 4 yr old will start Kindergarten at a South Pasadena public school. My husband is a chiropractor and so we believe and practice in wholistic/natural health. My husband was also a scientist/cancer research at the NIH in Wash., DC and at Amgen. We've both read a lot about this subject and have done extensive research before making this choice. I'm glad you have too. Anyway, please know that it is California law that parents can opt to put their child in a public school without vaccinations. We just have to sign a waiver claiming that it is our personal choice and we take responsibility. Do not be swayed by thinking you can't put your child in a public school without their proof of vaccinations. You can.

the reactions are a low chance. my twin nephews were a little sickly and they never had a reaction to vaccines. if your son is that sickly then give him vitamins (poly vi sol if hes under 2, then a kids vitamin for 2 and over) or if hes atleast a year up his vitamin c intake an make sure he eats well rounded meals. my daughter for one gets evey vaccine there is for her age (2) and a flu shot every year because shes asthmatic. my daughter is also sck like all winter ad its not from the flu shot (since its a dead virus like most vaccines are) its from her asthma kicking up from a tiny cod. this is how i think about not vaccinating (its my opinion and in no way am i saying you or anyone else who doesnt vaccinate is wrong). i think that children who are not vaccinated contribute to serious illnesses breaking out- measles, wooping cough (which can be fatal), and a few others i cant think of. i mean measels and chicken pox are all viral and theres not much you can do with it but you have to think that it spreads ike wild fire before you child even breaks out. my daughter got chicken pox at 5 months old we have no idea who he got it from. she has had it 2 times and still got vaccinated for it because her dr said that it would be best since her body was so seceptable to it. i have had it 2 times and shingles once. vaccines were made for a reason i think.
also for the record my daughter nor my nephews are autistic from vaccines (i think that link is bogus) because that is a nuerological problem that your born with i mean whats nex them saying that because you were vaccinated your kid has down syndrom.. really! your chld isnt going to be a vegitable or mentally challenged for vaciating him. my nephews and my daughter have eczema and asthma because it runs in our families not because we vaccinate them. i used to take care of a little boy who wasnt vaccinated until a year and he didnt start putting weight on to fill out until then (he had to get like 6 six shots to catch up opposed to 2 at a year) also he quit getting as sick as much too.
i guess the best thing to do is to talk to his dr about your concerns and together you can wiegh the pros and cons. also just as a curiosity how does your husband (if your married) feel about is?
good luck with your desision!

I would research your dision a little bit more and talk to you child's dr about not getting them. With him being so sickly I would give him all the protection I could. Ther is no bad side effects to geting there Vaccines. It helps them more then hurts them.

Hi S. -

You are actually NOT required by law to vaccinate, but everyone I know who didn't had a bit of a time going in circles when they registered their kids. Not all school health staff seem to know (or perhaps they pretend not to know). I believe you will need your child's pediatrician to be on board with this & perhaps even sign something.

There are alternatives, though I don't know what they are ~ the book you mention probably covers that anyway.

All the best,
Colleen

I don't know exactly what the law states, but I know that I have not vaccinated my children and the preschools they have attended have me sign a waiver - no problem (but they are not school age yet). I am 37 and I (and my 6 siblings) were not vaccinated either (my youngest sibling is 19). We all attended public schools and colleges (beginning from the mid-1970's to the present), and have never had a problem. I did need a tetanus vaccination as a pre-teen because I had an injury that put me at risk for tetanus (that was my mom's choice, not mandated), and I know I was required to test for TB when I was teaching in a secondary school about 10 years ago, I may have had to get a vaccination, but I can't remember.

I know this is a difficult decision. I still wrestle and research whether or not to vaccinate as my kids get older. Best of luck in your decision.

Hi S.,

You can stimulate your child's immune system naturally and permanently using the help of constitutional homeopathy. I know a couple of outstanding homeopaths in the West L.A. and H. Hills area who could help you with this. E-mail me for their contact info.

Best wishes,
S. I., L.Ac.
Lotus Wellspring Healthcare
456 E. Mission Road, Suite 100
San Marcos, CA 92069
###-###-####
____@____.com
www.lotuswellspring.com

Hi S.,
We, too, had reservations about vaccinating our son (now 13 months). We did a lot of research. First, let me answer your question about required immunizations for schools. I'm a teacher and can tell you that it's true that there is a form you can sign saying immunizations are against your beliefs. However, I have seen schools hassle people on this issue, trying to get you to get your children vaccinated. They don't want to deal with an outbreak of any major disease, as you can imagine. So, if this is the route you wish to go, be ready to stand your ground. Know your rights, etc. Now, what we decided to do was get all of the vaccinations but on a schedule similar to the one Dr. Sears suggests in his book (website too??). I designed my own schedule which consists of our son going in roughly every 3 months and getting a maximum of 2 shots each time instead of going in every 4-6 months and getting umpteen shots. The downside to this is that he goes more often and, as the dr. explained, there is more of a chance that he could be traumatized. So far, we haven't seen that but we are watching for it and doing things to help him with the pain and trauma, etc. (giving Tylenol one hour prior to the shots, a pacifier soaked in sugar water when he was younger, feeding him during the shots). On the upside, I feel that we are giving his body more time to process the chemicals. I also know that he will be protected from the illnesses. I found out through research that rates of the illness against which we vaccinate our kids are on the rise - among children of well-educated parents. As a teacher, I have seen these illnesses first-hand and have been very glad I chose to vaccinate my son. I'm not sure how true this is, but I recall coming across something that said that if others in the family have had adverse reactions, then there is a greater chance your child will have similar reactions. Don't quote me on that, however. I had an adverse reaction to DPT when I was a child. I only felt comfortable giving the DTaP to my son after I learned it had been formulated differently. I still watched him closely, however.

Good luck to you. It's a very personal decision!
C.

In CA you can sign off immunizations are against your beliefs.

Personally, I am a fan of immunizations, and my children can not be in class w/ kids that are not immunized, Because of my oldest child's health. There are pluses and minuses to everything we do, you need to make the best decision for you.

Its your child and you do have rights. When you enroll your child in school there is a waiver you can fill out saying that you don't believe in vaccines and there is nothing they can do about it. Also there are alternatives to the normal vaccine, you don't have to make sure they are vaccinated b the recomended age you can wait untill the are older and you can have them given individualy instead of together like the MMR is three in one but you might have to find a specialist that would do that.

Google required vaccinations for school, it will direct you to a site. It depends on what state you live in. I my state, CA, you can sign a waiver saying it is against your beliefs and you don't HAVE to get any. Good luck.

My second child was more sickly than my first was. I did get her vaccines and she never had any side effects or fevers or anything from the vaccines. I think she was more often sick simply because her older sister was around other children and bringing then back to her. Vaccines are different than other medical interventions we use and the risk of those side effects are so small. In the long run your child may be healthier with the vaccines. I hope this helps. Ultimately it's your decision and you'll do the right thing for your child.

As I understand it, and according to our pediatrician, CA law has an exception for parents who decide not to vaccinate their children based on their religious beliefs or medical beliefs. You can fill out a waiver form and if for medial reasons, may have to have your doctor sign it or attach a note. I know we were going to have our child in daycare (we ultimately decided against it for unrelated reasons), and because the daycare center was licensed by the state, they required children to be vaccinated. We have not yet decided about vaccinations, but know that if we do them, it will not be for some time, so our doctor was going to provide us a note, which was all the daycare needed to comply with CA law. Hope this helps.

I know heb B b/c I didn't give that to my son when he was born but I figured 5 years is much better than 5 hours old to get it. You can always say you won't vaccinate for religious reasons. Good luck. We are just doing an alternitive schedule and doing less at later ages.

To C.P:
Dear C.P.,
Wouldn't you say it goes both ways?
First of all, it has been proven that many diseases can be prevented without vaccination by proper nutrition and natural immunity boosters in the face of exposure. (see the book: Super Healthy Kids) http://www.healthychild.com/immune-system-support/boost-y...
And the nice thing is that most of the diseases out there have medicine and ways to prevent your child from dying if they happen get it. But I would also venture to say that the same "ridiculous percentage of kids" you mentioned are likely to get those diseases.
However, I would feel worse if I got my child sick on purpose by giving them a vaccination which caused them to die(which, personally, I don't think is a "very, very tiny side effect").
So for me, that would be the simple choice.
So going the other way we can also weigh options: vaccinate and cause death or other serious complications, or in spite of natural preventative non-damaging measures, potentially get a disease which can be treated.
In conclusion, I think it possible to present opposing opinions without being "harsh." (Take, for example, Christina J., kudos to her answer by the way).
When one is "harsh" the impression is unreasonability--not allowing for another's point of view, and the tendency is to have holes in the argument.

Your question wasn't actually about whether or not to vaccinate, but this is such a charged subject that you've gotten a lot of opinions on it. Most of have been totally for or against.

Personally, I've taken a more middle ground. My second daughter also seems more sensitive (though I wouldn't call her sickly) and reacted badly to her first round of shots. Since then, I have chosen to vaccinate for the disease that scare me the most, and on a delayed schedule.

For example, I think that the DTaP shot is important. Both pertussis and tetanus are bad diseases. However, I've slowed the schedule, since her likelihood of exposure is small before she is in school. The AAP has a catch-up schedule for vaccinates, and you'll note that in some cases, by waiting until the child is older you need fewer shots in total.

Anyway, just another approach to think about. Our pediatrician has been good about accepting my lead on this decision, while still providing her medical opinion and experience. Hope yours does too.

It depends on the state. Usually you can get a religious waiver if you need a reason for the school. Good luck and I support your decision.

Hi S.,
First, I would listen to your own instincts about what is right for your child's body. My
story is a little different BUT it is should be helpful to you. I was in my forties BUT was required to get a Hept B shot to teach preschool. Who knew that my body after the 3rd injection would
not be able to process it. I was sooooo sick. No doctor is going to tell you it is from
your vaccination. They are requiring babies an incredible amount of vaccines into his/her little bodies. The chemicals that we are putting into our system is insane and at the
young age of 2 months is even more insane. Yes, there was childhood illness that
people died from BUT there was also a generation of kids who got MMR and lived.
I would do much research before I did anything and would wait until your little one
was not a baby before you make your decision. I know MANY parents who are in
the same circumstance that you are. Wishing you the very best.

My youngest is not vaccinated at all. My second child, we stopped after two year old shots and my oldest after five year old shots. I've had MMR THREE times and they still say I"m not immune! I give up! No more. Plus, my nephew was born totally NORMAL and then was accidentally given two doses of MMR and now has autism (high functioning). Sign the exemption/waiver and decide later if you want. You can also get only certain shots (whooping cough, measles, etc.). So many that they give kids are unnecessary! Why give a newborn Heb. B (unless mom has issues) when it's a sexually transmitted disease? Read up on it and then decide. Good luck!

Dear S., Hi I am a Health Assistant at a elementary school for Garden Grove Unified School District, for the last eight years. So i know my immunizations and requirements. I have an 18 year old daughter who is starting college in Aug, and a 13 1/2 year old daughter who is moderately Autistic. I am a firm believer that the MMR imm is the reason for my younger daughters Autism. But i think immunizations are very important also. In the state of California when you register your child at school you will fillout a blue csir card (California state immunization record) On the back of the card there are two places to sign so that your child will not have to recieve any immunizations. One is so that your child against your personal beliefs does not recive any immunizations, the other is so your child does not have to have a tb test. Any questions please call me, ###-###-####. J. H. P.S. Remember the school staff will not offer you this information, and also if they try to intimidate you about this please call me and i will back you up 100 percent.

I would call the school district. Most schools have a policy that if you choose not to vaccinate you have to fill out some paper work stating your not vaccinating. But be prepared if some one comes down with something like the measels or mumps your child will need to be picked up immiadiatly and won't be allowed back at school until it all clears up. but I hope you find some good info from the school. good luck

S., sorry if I am repeating anything in the other 40+ responses, but go to the library or buy "The Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears. He is my kids peditrician and has supported us in all of our "against the status quo" beliefs (extended/separate vaccine schedule, co-sleeping attachment parenting etc...). Anyway our kids are vaccinated, but we do not send them to public school so I don't know the requirements. I do know that my husband travels frequently to various parts of the world that may/may not have vaccines for various diseases, and I don't want my kids coming down with something he was exposed to. He has to have all his vaccines updated or tested regularly. My decision was made before we even got pregnant. On of my aunts decided since she did not get vaccines, she was not going to vaccinate her child. While she was pregnant with her second child her first came home with German Measles. Unfortunately she caught German Measles, her child was born with only 10-15% hearing in one ear, completely deaf in the other. Read "The Vaccine Book" and see if this would be an option for you to try.

The short answer to your question is that different states have different legal requirements and you would have to look them up online or reach out to your local school district. As a side note, I am also a concerned mother with regards to vaccinating my son. So, after reading your posting I read the article you referenced. It seems to be heavily one sided and not very educational. I think knowledge is power and would also recommend reading the book, "The Vaccine Book," by Robert W. Sears. I don't preach whether people should or should not get their children vaccinated, but I am for getting all the information you possibly can and then making the right decision for your family. Good luck!