Claims of Religious Exemption from State Immunization Requirements Rising

According to a Washington Post report, increasing numbers of parents are claiming religious exemptions from state immunization laws in order to avoid having their children vaccinated prior to kindergarten enrollment. Among these parents are those whose real objection appears to be an apprehension about hazards they believe are associated with vaccines rather than a conflict with established tenets of their faith. Because a majority of states only authorize an immunization exemption for medical or religious reasons, parents seeking to avoid vaccinations in those states must assert a religious exemption claim, sometimes substantiating the claim with a certificate of church membership in an online group specially formed to issue such documents. Public health experts have expressed concern about the possible consequences of this pattern, fearing that unimmunized children could become seriously ill themselves and infect others with diseases such as measles and whooping cough.