Parents in Kentucky may obtain an exemption from vaccination requirements for their children for medical reasons or because of their religious beliefs, but they have no shot at acquiring a vaccination exemption solely for philosophical reasons.
While all 50 states require children to be immunized against certain diseases in order to enroll in school, each state also allows exemptions to immunization requirements for medical reasons, such as a weak immune system,
according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Almost all states also permit exemptions for religious reasons, the NCSL added.
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But some parents don't think the vaccines help or they fear the shots will cause medical problems for their children, while others believe mandatory vaccination requirements are an abuse of government power. Twenty states allow philosophical exemptions “for those who object to immunizations because of personal, moral or other beliefs,” the NCSL said.
Kentucky state law requires all parents and guardians to have their children immunized against at least nine different diseases, according to the
website of Fort Thomas, Kentucky., medical practitioner Dr. Thomas Krift.
That website indicated that to enroll their child or children in a public or private elementary or secondary school, parents or guardians must present a signed “certificate of proof of these immunizations from a medical physician, osteopathic physician, physician’s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, pharmacist, or local health department administrator.”
Parents or guardians who choose to have their child or children exempted from vaccination requirements must have their “family physician, pediatrician, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, or local health department administrator sign either the religious exemption form or the medical exemption form,” Krift’s website said.
It added: “The religious exemption form must be accompanied by a signed, notarized affidavit stating you are opposed for personal religious reasons. Just present these signed documents to your child’s school or daycare and they cannot be questioned. I have had no problems whatsoever.”
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