Vaccination requirements in Connecticut allow for medical and religious exemptions from vaccines for children attending school in the state. Philosophical exemptions, such as when parents have personal beliefs against vaccines, are not included.
Medical exemptions are allowed for children who have had previous negative reactions from a vaccination and for children who have medical conditions that could increase the risk for harmful reactions to a vaccine.
Parents need to provide information on a medical exemption request from a qualified health care provider. The state law also allows exemptions from specific vaccines if the parent has a statement from a doctor confirming it.
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Religious exemptions are allowed when religious tenets or practices do not allow vaccinations, but exemption requests only need to be submitted by a parent or guardian. It may be difficult for parents to get exemptions from a specific vaccine for religious purposes, since religious beliefs would generally refer to all vaccinations,
according to the Connecticut Vaccine Information Alliance.
Some Connecticut lawmakers are concerned about the ease and number of religious exemptions in recent years. There were 149 medical exemptions and 316 religious exemptions in the state in 2003. But religious exemptions jumped to 1,028 compared to 218 medical exemptions by 2014,
according to the Yale Daily News. Officials have questioned why religious concerns about vaccinations have increased so dramatically.
State Rep. Matt Ritter wants a study of Connecticut’s current policies for exemptions from vaccines. People who request medical exemptions also need documentation from a doctor following an examination, but religious exemptions only require parents’ signatures, he said.
Ritter also noted that he thinks many people who receive religious exemptions are actually against vaccines for personal reasons. They apply for the religious exemption because there is no personal or philosophical exemption in the state. Ritter and other officials are taking a closer look at the policies of other states, including educational components that help parents understand the risks and benefits of vaccinations.
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