Which Vaccination Exemptions Are Allowed by Nebraska?

Nebraska offers religious and medical exemptions from vaccinations.

To attend public schools, Nebraska students are required to be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, and chicken pox, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

Nebraska lawmakers put off an effort to require meningitis vaccinations after a bill introduced this year faced a filibuster, The Associated Press reported.

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A compromise would have expanded the state’s vaccination exemption laws to include exemptions for philosophical reasons, Net News reported.

Schools keep immunization records and report on them annually to the state.

Those seeking medical exemptions must file "a statement signed by a physician that the required immunization would be injurious to the student or members of the student's family or household," the health department said. For those families filing a religious exemption, they must submit "an affidavit signed by a legally authorized representative stating that the immunization conflicts with the tenets and practices of a recognized religious denomination of which the student is a member."

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures: "All 50 states have legislation requiring specified vaccines for students. Although exemptions vary from state to state, all school immunization laws grant exemptions to children for medical reasons. Almost all states grant religious exemptions for people who have religious beliefs against immunizations."

The NCSL also noted that 20 states offer philosophical exemptions, "for those who object to immunizations because of personal, moral or other beliefs."

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