Massachusetts Citizens for Vaccination Choice

Massachusetts law honors both medical and religious exemptions to vaccination.

Medical exemptions are signed by doctors on a vaccine-by-vaccine basis and reviewed annually. They are granted for medically-recognized contraindications.

Religious exemptions in Massachusetts are honored regardless of tradition, even if you stray from the orthodox teachings of your tradition. Though some schools will request the signature of clergy with this exemption, no such authorization is required, as this exemption is filed by you--a parent, guardian, or an age-of-majority adult--and should be respected on that basis. There is no standard exemption letter in use across the state; rather, parents (or age-of-majority adults) need to write and submit their own letters, including language such as “I am exempting my child (myself) from vaccination because it conflicts with my sincerely held religious belief.” We recommend that those claiming a religious exemption include the Mass. General Law language below in their exemption letter, both to serve as a reminder to school authorities of the law as well as to serve notice that you are aware of your rights regarding this issue.

Here is the language of the law:
GENERAL LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS
PART I, TITLE XII, CHAPTER 76.
Section 15C: Immunization of college health science students

No full-time student under thirty years of age or any full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate students in a health science who is in contact with patients shall, except as hereinafter provided, be registered at an institution of higher education except upon presentation of a medical certificate that such student has been immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria; provided, however, that a student may be registered at such institution upon certification made, in writing, by a physician who has personally examined such student and in whose opinion the physical condition of such student is such that his health would be endangered by any such immunization; and provided, further, that students who have attended an elementary or secondary school in the commonwealth may submit a copy of their school immunization record, indicating receipt of the above required immunizations, in lieu of such certificate; and provided, further, that unimmunized students may be registered on the condition that the required immunizations be obtained within ten days of registration.

In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no student who states in writing that such immunization would conflict with his religious beliefs shall be required to present such medical certificate in order to be admitted to such institution.

Click here to access the text of this law at the Massachusetts government site.

A new recommendation for the meningitis vaccine is now in place in Massachusetts’ secondary boarding schools and residential colleges. This is a recommendation, not a requirement, and the signing of a meningitis vaccine waiver is sufficient to forego this vaccine for those who are so inclined.

NOTE: While religious and medical exemptions are honored in Massachusetts, school officials retain the authority to exclude unvaccinated students from school for a period of time following the positive identification of a case of a vaccinated disease. Visit the MDPH site for a schedule of exclusion periods.