Michigan allows exemptions to vaccination requirements for medical and religious reasons. State law requires a written statement to the administrator of the child's school or group program stating the religious convictions or other objection to immunization.
Those seeking exemptions for non-medical reasons also must complete education about vaccines and the diseases they fight.
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The education requirement, which went into effect in January, followed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that said Michigan had the fourth-highest number of non-medical
vaccination exemptions, Grosse Pointe News reported.
"Parents have a lot of questions regarding immunizations and whether they might be harmful to their children," Denise Sloan, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics told Grosse Pointe News. "There is a lot of information on the Internet, some of which is not accurate."
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the new rule “allows parents/guardians to have the opportunity to speak with a health educator from their local health department about their concerns and questions regarding immunizations prior to the non-medical waiver being signed."
School immunization laws in all 50 states grant exemptions to children for medical reasons,
the National Conference of State Legislatures said. Most states grant religious exemptions for those who have religious beliefs against immunizations, and 20 states offer philosophical exemptions for personal, moral or other beliefs.
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