Q&A: Is NOT immunizing my children illegal?

My child has not had all the state required immunizations. Is this even legal or can I be facing serious legal problems?

Answer:
Yes, you have the legal right to not vaccinate your children.

You have the right to claim religious, medical, and philosophical exemptions. Unfortunately there are only 15 states that are currently recognizing a philosophical exemption. However, all the other states will accept medical exemption and all but Mississippi and West Virginia accept a religious exemption. A religious exemption is a statement that claims that you do not believe in immunizations because of religious beliefs. Many states may try to claim you need to be a member of a certain organization to claim this type of exemption, but that requirement has been found to be unconstitutional. They’re also a lot of school and public officials that will tell you that it’s against the law to not vaccinated, but know your rights! You have the right to not immunize your child thanks to a 1988 case in New York involving a chiropractor who didn’t want his child vaccinated. When they threaten this right, they’re violating your federally protected civil rights under the first amendment.

If you have already begun vaccinations and then you decide that you want to stop, you still have the right to stop now and claim religious or philosophical exemption. It's okay to change your mind and what is important is what you believe now, not what you used to believe. You can contact your local Department of Health in order to file an exemption for your child.