Guaranteed Immunization Exemptions for Childcare, K-12 and College in the United States
Even though they are presented as "requests" that must be "approved," most immunization exemptions for childcare, K-12 and college in the US are guaranteed.
Disclaimer
The author of this article is not an attorney and not authorized to practice law in any state. Nothing presented in this document is to be taken as legal advice. Everything presented here is personal opinion derived from research and is for informational purposes only. The results presented are representative of the current data collected and are subject to change as new data is obtained. Please reach out centerforpublictransparency@gmail.com for clarification or recommended revisions or additions. Please consider donating if you found this information useful and want to further the mission.
What’s on This Page
Maps representing the degree of certainty for which immunization exemptions can be obtained in all 50 states (including DC) for childcare, K-12 and college shaded by colors indicating differentiating the likelihood of obtaining the exemption. Blue indicates the most certainty shaded to green where exemptions are certain but require more involvement like completing online modules, visiting with county health officials or seeking signatures from healthcare providers. Purple indicates states that scrutinize and red indicate states that only allow medical exemptions.
Links to the interactive pages that include searchable tables and lists associated with each of the maps.
Related Articles
Introduction
When it comes to immunization requirements for childcare, K-12 and college, almost without fail, state health departments and schools make painfully clear what the immunization requirements are but obscure or omit information about exemptions. The truth is that in most cases, each and every person subject to the requirements also qualifies for a guaranteed exemption from those requirements. And, regardless of whether the exemtpion is typed as religious or philisophical, the person exercising the exemption does not have to be a member of a church, list a recognized denoimnation, provide a letter from any clergymember or quote any religious text in order to qualify for a religous exemption.
In an effort to eliminate the confusion, The Center has examined how exemptions are handled in all 50 states for each category. The resulting maps (and tables and lists on the pages assocatied with each map) are the restult.
The Maps
Each map below represents the degree of certainty in each state of obtaining an exemption from immunizations for childcare, K-12 and college. A link below each map leads to a page that expands on the information in the map by providing a searchable table with more information and also presents the same data in a list view.