Religious and medical exemptions from vaccinations for children are allowed under Arkansas law for parents or guardians who file request forms that are signed and notarized.
Arkansas state legislators added exemptions from vaccinations on philosophical grounds in 2003,
according to a report in the Arkansas Times. Aside from religious beliefs and medical reasons, parents who don’t want their children vaccinated because they object to immunizations based on their personal or moral beliefs can be granted exemptions, which are
approved by the Arkansas Department of Health.
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Exemptions last for a year, and a parent or guardian must reapply for an exemption each year. Requested exemptions are signed and notarized by parents or guardians and sent to the health department. There were 6,058 children in Arkansas schools who had not received some or all vaccinations during the 2014-2015 school year, Kerry Krell, a spokesman for the health department, told the Arkansas Times.
When requesting exemptions for religious, philosophical or medical reasons, parents or guardians must also sign a statement that they understand the child can be removed from school during disease outbreaks to protect other children. The child would not be able to return to school until the outbreak is over and the health department approves readmission.
The parents or guardians must complete an educational component during the request process that informs them of the risks and benefits of vaccinations.
Vaccinations in Arkansas include shots for polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella and other diseases. State law also points out that the pertussis vaccination requirement does not apply to a child with a sibling who has had a serious adverse reaction to the vaccination that resulted in a permanent disability.
Under state laws, child care facilities cannot admit a child who has not been age-appropriately immunized from diseases within 15 days after the child was originally admitted to the facility. Unimmunized children in day care can also be removed from the center during periods of outbreaks,
according to the National Vaccine Information Center.
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