Issue Description

Many parents are concerned about the medical risks of vaccinations. In addition to this, religious freedom and parental rights emphasize the need for parents to retain the choice of whether or not they will immunize their children.

HSLDA is committed to advancing parental rights in this area, as we help homeschool parents who are unduly harassed by social workers because of this issue. We pledge to work to keep the religious exemption to immunizations intact.

Talk of mandatory vaccines for various flu viruses has been increasing. However, with the negative history behind mandatory vaccines, the federal government does not seem to be moving in that direction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended vaccines and certain health guidelines but has left mandatory decisions to state and local authorities.

Issue Background

Forty-eight states provide for religious or conscientious/philosophical exemptions for parents who choose not to immunize their children. Seventeen states allow for conscientious parental choice exemptions: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Only Mississippi and West Virginia have no religious or philosophical exemptions. However, Mississippi does allow an automatic exemption for homeschool students. According to surveys conducted by Centers for Disease Control, states allowing for conscientious choice exemptions do not have higher rates of vaccine preventable illnesses.