So, I get my kids’ back-to-school packages in the mail last Friday. After the summer we’ve had I cannot wait for school to start! I didn’t even get over the threshold of my house before eagerly opening the large envelope with the school’s logo emblazoned in the return address:
- Welcome letter. Check.
- Invitation to school picnic. Check.
- Info on carpool/parking lot pick-up procedure. Check.
- Emergency contact forms. Check.
- Memo on school shots or else. Check.
Back it up a second, folks! School shots or else? Get them or no admittance! Fill in that vaccine record or you aren’t getting in! State law cited about “no grace period” at all! Get those sixth grade boosters and hurry! What?! Really?! Come on! My state, along with 47 others, has vaccine exemptions which guarantee school admittance. Where is that information in this memo?!
Between last school year and the upcoming school year we’ve had more notices come home from my kids’ schools (one public, one private) about vaccines and to get them or else: information on the benefits of the seasonal flu shot, information on the “required” DTaP booster for my rising sixth grader, information on the HPV vaccine for that same rising sixth grader, and now the back-to-school shots that are being pushed on all of my kids. I find it obscene that the vaccine information parents are being given is not complete. I’m shocked at what I read. I’m saddened that the message is always one-sided and missing incredibly important information—the exemptions!
The message is clear: VACCINATE OR ELSE.
Or else your kid can’t come to school. Or you’ll face delays. Or you’ll be investigated? (Or worse in some districts, we might even report you.) What parent wants to jeopardize their child’s education? I certainly don’t want the authorities breathing down my neck, which is why, when I discovered vaccine exemptions existed, I scoured every bit of information I could on the topic. I learned about my parental responsibilities and also about my rights. I learned what truly was “the law” and what was exempt from it. I learned about the truth, and I used it. I think many parents are still in the dark about their options, but the people pushing the school vaccines are doing a disservice to the children they are supposed to be serving.
When parents get these school vaccine memos why isn’t the entire law shared by the school reps? Schools become the gatekeeper of millions of vaccination records. Just as important as those records they are collecting are the exemptions for millions of children who just cannot handle the over-inflated vaccine schedule. Last week a friend in Texas reached out to me about her son’s “school shots” and how they, along with other complications brought him to the Emergency Room. After an almost two-week stay in the children’s hospital, after hundreds of questions, many labs, several painful procedures and lots of prayer, the young boy is on the mend. But did any of it have to happen? Had this parent known she could exempt from those “school shots” things might be very different right now. Had the school personnel, who insisted on stating some of the state law, not neglected to state the entire vaccine “requirements” — along with the school exemptions — some of what happened to my friend’s son surely could have been avoided.
It comes down to getting the right information and also knowing how to use that information. I know that I as the primary caregiver I am ultimately responsible for my children and their health, not a school administrator or school nurse. Sure, they’re allowed to ask about vaccines, but asking is different than demanding and then making claims (or threats) that are untrue.
I think it’s time to enlist a new strategy, and what better time than now when households across the nation are getting ready for a new school year. Parents are consumers of the medical products being pushed by schools. Those of us who have insisted upon taking a stand against pushy doctors have paved the way for countless other parents for some time now. Because of what has happened to our vaccine-injured children, we’ve reminded our primary doctors that we parents call the shots about our children’s health. In being so vocal about that, we’ve helped to open the eyes of future parents. Our work and that message has made an impact. Stories in the news report that vaccine rates are lower than previous years and that parents have grave concerns about vaccines. We’re hearing that vaccines are responsible for outbreaks of the very diseases they’ve been designed to prevent. Newer parents of typical kids are becoming aware of the flaws in vaccines. Now they are making a stand demanding safer vaccines. And, until that happens these parents are also saying fewer jabs for their typical children. Our hard work to educate others is making a difference. Let’s continue to ride that momentum and bring that message to the schools.
I’m sure administrators are only doing what they are told to do, and some of them may have no clue the implications vaccinations have for some of our children. From what I’ve read vaccine recording mandates usually come from the state health department. I’m guessing some of the groups involved probably have some sort of ve$ted interest in how many doses of certain vaccinations are being doled out to school-age children. We know that some medical practices bank on our children and how medicated they are. If the schools continue to promote vaccinations while not fully informing parents, and then intimidating them in the form of a memo from the school nurse, it isn’t right. Nor is it ever going to help a parent’s right to know.
It’s time to start schooling the school nurses, because some of them must have missed the memo that vaccines are certainly not required when state laws include exemptions. I did just that after I opened my kids’ “Welcome Back to School” packet. I sent a quick email to the principal letting him know my concern—that the exemption information our state allows was not included in the memo. I asked if he’d please consider including that information and included a very short personal note about my children’s vaccine injury and why we must use the exemption for their health needs. I immediately got a response with my message forwarded to the school nurse who agreed that the exemption information certainly can be included in future mailings. Honestly, I was shocked. I was also thankful beyond measure. The nurse is curious about the vaccine injury my children sustained and has invited me to educate her on our experience. Not everyone’s responses will be so quick nor welcomed. But, if we as a group really want to make a difference and bring our message to the masses, why not start where children spend the majority of our children spend their day: in school?
When you send a message to your school nurse first check out what your state law says. The following websites have a great deal of information: NVIC.org, Vaxtruth.org and Vactruth.com. If the memos about school vaccines don’t include all of the vaccine information, including the exemption information, kindly send a response to the school. Clarify the law with the entire wording, and request that future mailings about vaccines include all the facts. Then, tell us if you have any success in reaching out to your school administration or school nurse. Tell us if you make an impact. Tell us too if you’ve been marked as “one of those parents.” I’m sure I have that label from some people already. It doesn’t bother me too much now though. You’d think it might, but when I know something that can help another I feel it is incredibly important to disclose all of the truth, the whole truth and, of course, nothing but the truth.
~ Mamacita
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I am a offended at your insinuation that school nurses need schooling on this topic. At what point do you think we have any control over what the state requires us? Sound to me like your local school board neglected to educate themselves before sending home letters. I am a middle school nurse covering 4-6 grade ( at which point students are required to either have a Tetanus booster, medical or religious exemption on file before starting 6th grade. It DOES NOT require a tetanus, but it does require that we have on file the tetanus booster or the exemption. This has to be turned in, charted in a database, and vaccination survey completed and turned into the state before October 1. Problem being many parents flat out neglect to turn in either. At which point we score negatively on our immunization compliance. Sound to me like a school nurse may just need to school you!
You may be offended, but not all school nurses are as on top of things as you are. And, yes, school nurses have to comply with certain state requirements, but many school nurses will imply that children MUST get boosters when they should be aware that their states provides religious, medical, and/or philosophical exemptions to those boosters. And VERY few school nurses will make the existence of those exemptions known, especially when sending a letter home.
Thanks for getting the word out!
We got the “you’re child MUST have the Tdap, or will not be able to attend middle school (this latter part in bold)” letter about 5 years ago. I immediately looked up the relevant law and wrote a rebuttal to the school nurse and principal (signatories on the letter). I got nowhere, so went up the food chain to the administrative level at the City’s schools, and also the school board.
Along the way, I saw that the very same letter went out all over the state. The Health Department helped with the wording, I was told. Clearly, multiple school systems were using the Health Department’s template.
Among my talking points was that the school system might be liable if their coercive letter resulted in a vaccine injury. Although no one came out and said so, I pointed out the massive rise in autism in the school system, and how there was plenty of evidence this was an iatrogenic epidemic. Certainly, the school systems are at the autism frontlines, so some of them know.
I’m pleased to report that, checking just now, the school’s website does contain the exemption information. I’m sorry that it came to me to set things right after so many years of disinformation and coercion. In my discussions with the various people in the school system, one principal let it slip that the schools get money if their vaccination numbers are high enough. I tried to pursue this topic of conversation, but then he could not provide me with more specific information.
Be careful who you speak with; the health department people will lie through their teeth to any parent questioning vaccination. When I moved to N.C., I began to inquire about what I needed to do to exempt my kids, one of whom was already vaccine injured. Speaking with some health official (don’t remember how I ended up in contact with her), I first explained I was seeking medical exemption for both my kids. My son’s doctor has instructed he can never have another vaccine. The state lady told me that the state’s doctor would have to see and sign off on a medical exemption, and that he could make us have my kids’ titers checked every week if he wanted. So I said, “I’ll just get a religious exemption.” She then inappropriately asked me what religion/church/denomination I was, to which I replied “Baptist”. She then had the nerve to say “Oh, you can’t get a religious exemption.” By this time, thankfully, I had regained my better senses and had enough, so I replied “Lady, no body, least of all you, is going to tell me I cannot get a religious exemption for my children.” That was ten years ago. My kids have been in public school in NC with religious exemptions ever since.
Public health official are oftentimes liars and bullies; and they’ll say anything to get you to sign your child’s life away and get them vaccinated. JUST SAY NO!
I recently addressed my local school board about this very topic. I had met with the head of health services in the district and contacted her several times about families being sent home notices on vaccine requirements without informing them of their legal right to exemption. It took over 2 years and a lot of emails, signs, flyers, etc., but they finally changed the website in the district. It now in bold mentions exemptions and has the link to the online form for Texas!
My continued concern is the nurses. They need to deliver vaccine information in a unbiased manner. That is a bigger issue…..working on it! :-))
Catherine, It’s not nurses that primarily need to be educated. I am one, and I’m telling you that healthcare ADMINISTRATORS and the entire health care INDUSTRY needs tobe PUSHED BACK on vaccines. They are the ones deciding what nurses say and do. Most lowly nurses simply want to keep their jobs. As long as the the entire health crae industry keeps calling the shots for a pro-vax agenda, most nurses will simply comply….unfortunately
Yes that really is unfortunate as this government continues to use school nurses as their pencil pushers!!!! I have to say that every back to school night in September, no one makes more sick than the School Nurse as she stands at the podium and pushes vaccines!!! Sickening, truly sickening!!!!!!
Excellent article! My son is too old for me to have to worry anymore, or so I thought. UC Santa Cruz pushed the meningitis vaccine! I reminded him and send him links. Thanks for the work you do, it helps!
In Minnesota, a law was passed in the last few years which requires that if the school sends out anything that indicates that they must get shots, they also have to include information about the conscientious objector option in the same size font on the same side of the page. Of course, the Department of Health (if you wish to use that delusionary name) is trying to figure out a way around it. So I have been working hard at making sure my son’s Middle School is following the law. I finally got a response.
Others can get these laws changed too. I know, I know, you have enough to do with Autistic kids, but see if there is a health freedom organization in your state. Contact the National Health Freedom Coalition and see what they have to say. If you Google them, you will find them. They work with health freedom groups in many states.
Things do differ state by state which is why I like checking out NVIC.org. They post much of each individual state’s vaccine information. My other ‘go to’ sites are vaclib.org and vaxtruth.org.
Thanks for sharing how you keep up with the legal requirements. It’s great that you stay up-to-date and can help inform others in your home state.
~Mamacita
Thanks for helping to spread the word about vaccination choices in such a positive and proactive way. Schools should not be allowed to misinform parents by omitting vital information about exemptions and it’s great that you have taken action on this and also, that the response to your approach was so cooperative. I think that school nurse will become a better practitioners because of your input. Who knows how far your one simple action will lead…drop a pebble in the water and all that 🙂 Whatever the case may be – your actions were well done and inspiring!
Thanks, Meryl!
I live in Iowa and our school district sends a ” health form” out at the beginning of each school year. On it you are to list vaccines your child has had. Unfortunately, my kids have had their vaccines up to kindergarten. So I just put, ” see kindergarten list”. They do not ever send out anything stating your child must have this or that vaccine, at the beginning of each year. So here, it has not been an issue.
Thanks for this important info. Another piece of information which schools do not tell parents is that you can have your child’s blood tested for titers which will show if the boosters are even necessary for immunity. An overwhelming majority of children show that they have adequate titers and the boosters are not necessary. My 18 year old was tested and he had very high titers….he hadn’t been vaccinated since he was 5 years old. Doctor checks the results and writes a letter saying he doesn’t need further immunizations, which the school honored without question.
Even if titres are high, this doesn’t indicate immunity – all it indicates is that there has been past contact with that particular disease. Isn’t it peculiar, when they want to scare us into vaccinating, they mention antibodies/sero-conversion as their immunity gold standard, but if they want to scare us into taking toxic AIDS meds, antibodies indicate a probable death sentence.
I would not rely on titers as they are not entirely accurate nor do they always indicate the presence of anti-bodies. A child’s immune system, if not assaulted by vaccines, will be more than capable of handling whatever pathogens and viruses that come its way. I speak from experience as neither of my kids, now 19 and 22, have ever had one $hot and are perfectly healthy having been exposed to many viruses and childhood illnesses along the way. They have also traveled extensively, both domestically and abroad, and never get ill. I would bank on their immune systems over that of a vaccinated child any day.
49 doses of 14 vaccines by age 6 is excessive and dangerous. The accumulative dose of heavy metals such as mercury (yes, it’s still in many ‘mercury-free’ shots) and aluminum, compromises one’s immune system and increases one’s risk of developing neurological disorders such as ADHD, Autism, Alzheimer’s, asthma, allergies, myalgia, Guillain-Barre, etc.
In kindergarten, my 5 yr old daughter attended a chickenpox party hosted by a doctor’s wife, neither of whom believed in vaccines. She contracted chickenpox along w/several other children and my 2 1/2 yr old son also contracted it as a result of his sister having it. A week later, some itching, and oatmeal baths, no problem, and lifetime immunity. Even Dr. Andrew Weil has gone on record to say that the only reason the chickenpox vaccine was invented was to spare parents having to take time off to tend to their children. A totally unnecessary and neuro-toxic and carcinogenic vaccine which suppresses chickenpox, but does not eliminate it. Measles, mumps, and chickenpox are all necessary childhood viruses which need to be discharged via the skin for a full immune response and lifelong protection. Even the WHO was quoted years ago as saying over 95% of those who are fully vaccinated against measles will still contract it. Only the natural form of chickenpox, not that created in a lab, will result in full immunity. Shingles is on the rise only because adults are not being exposed to the natural form of chickenpox which all of us kids had back in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s until the chickenpox vaccine was developed. If one’s immune system is not triggered or activated by the presence of live chickenpox, the virus can result in shingles.
Checking Ohio’s exempt laws! Thank you!
Ohio has great exemptions. Medical, religious and philosophical exemptions. But no one will ever tell you this. In fact, they will look at you like you are crazy but you do have the legal right to refuse in Ohio.
Yes, Ohio’s exemption law is quite simple to comply with. I have submitted an easy form to our daycare, and we will continue to submit the exemption form even if/when we begin to vaccinate.