Exemptions for Vaccines

Illinois allows medical and religious exemptions to mandated vaccines. The medical exemption must be signed by a medical doctor licensed to practice medicne in Illinois. The personal religious exemption can be written by any parent, for their elementary, high-school or college aged child. Effective 7/1/02, the College Immunization Code has been amended (Section 694.210) to allow for a religious exemption based on the personal religious beliefs of students or their parents. Click HERE for more information.

How to write a Vaccine Personal Religious Exemption

Samples of Personal Religious Beliefs

IDPH letter clarifying the religious exemption

IDPH memo to schools on criteria for accepting a religious exemption

Day-Care Exemptions
The Day-care religious vaccine exemption contains the language that children can exempt if the "parents object thereto on the grounds that they conflict with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious organization, of which the parent is an adherent or member". Below is a letter from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) dated June 7, 2000, to IVAC in regard to the day-care vaccine exemption. The day-care exemption remains out of sync with the vaccine exemption allowed at other levels and the public should question their state representatives and senators as to why this discrepancy remains.

Excerpts from Illinois Department of Public Health's June 7, 2000, letter to IVAC regarding child care vaccine exemptions.
Section seven of the Child Care Act of 1969 {225 ILCS 10/7} provides the Illinois Department of Public Health with the statutory authority to establish immunization requirements for children attending child care facilities. This Section specifically states that children may be exempt to immunization if the "parents object thereto on the grounds that they conflict with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious organization, of which the parent is an adherent or member". The wording of the religious objection in the Immunization Code/Part 695 is consistent with that stated in the Child Care Act of 1969.

The Department does not define "recognized church" or "religious organization". It is the responsibility of each day care center to determine validity of the religious exemption statement submitted to the day care center.