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 school districts will request the signature of clergy with this exemption, no such authorization is required, as this exemption is filed by you and should be respected on that basis. There is no standard exemption letter in use across the state; rather, parents need to write and submit their own letters, including language such as “I am exempting my child 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:
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUP DAY CARE AND
SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS
Regulations Of The Department of Early Education and Care

102 CMR 7.00: Standards For The Licensure Or Approval Of Group Day Care And School Age Child Care Programs (7/10/97)
Section 102 CMR 7.09(5)(a) Required Medical Examinations in Group Child Care Programs

“The licensee shall require, at admission, a physician’s certificate that each child has been successfully immunized in accordance with the current Department of Public Health’s recommended schedules against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, measles and such other communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time by the Office. No child shall be required, under 102 CMR 7.00 to have any such immunization if his parent(s) objects thereto, in writing, on the grounds that it conflicts with their religious beliefs or if the child’s physician submits documentation that such a procedure is contraindicated.”

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.

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.

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 school districts will request the signature of clergy with this exemption, no such authorization is required, as this exemption is filed by you and should be respected on that basis. There is no standard exemption letter in use across the state; rather, parents need to write and submit their own letters, including language such as “I am exempting my child 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 15: Vaccination and immunization

No child shall, except as hereinafter provided, be admitted to school except upon presentation of a physician’s certificate that the child has been successfully immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and poliomyelitis and such other communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time by the department of public health.

A child shall be admitted to school upon certification by a physician that he has personally examined such child and that in his opinion the physical condition of the child is such that his health would be endangered by such vaccination or by any of such immunizations. Such certification shall be submitted at the beginning of each school year to the physician in charge of the school health program. If the physician in charge of the school health program does not agree with the opinion of the child’s physician, the matter shall be referred to the department of public health, whose decision will be final.

In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no child whose parent or guardian states in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs shall be required to present said physician’s certificate in order to be admitted to school.

You can also access the text of this law on the Massachusetts state government site.

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.