Which Vaccination Exemptions Are Allowed by Hawaii?

Like other states, Hawaii requires students to have certain vaccinations before entering school or day care. Parents can get exemptions from these rules for medical or religious reasons.

The State of Hawaii Department of Health requires every student to have a medical exam before entering school. This includes preschool and daycare programs as well as college, community college and trade-school programs. Students have to prove they are clear of tuberculosis within a year of entering school. Even infants have to have a TB certificate before they are 14 months of age.

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By kindergarten, children must have vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, hib and chickenpox. No one can enter school without the TB clearance.

Parents who can’t afford vaccinations can apply for free shots from the federally funded Vaccines for Children program. The program helps families whose health coverage won’t take care of the cost of immunizations get those same vaccinations for free.

Kids who have had the chicken pox do not also need the vaccination. They can simply provide signed documentation by a health care provider that the child had the disease.

The state of Hawaii does not allow vaccination exemptions based on philosophical reasons. Parents must either be able to qualify for a medical exemption or claim a religious exemption.

For a medical exemption, a licensed doctor must provide a written statement that the vaccinations would be dangerous for the child’s health including the specific medical reason for the danger. There is not a form, but rather the written exemption must be on stationary from the doctor’s office.

For a religious exemption, a parent must sign a statement that religious beliefs specifically prohibit immunization. Hawaii will not allow parents to opt out of only certain vaccines on religious basis.

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