Are Parents Lying To Skirt Mandatory Vaccines?

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http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/13778313/detail.html

Are Parents Lying To Skirt Mandatory Vaccines?

Team 5 Investigates Reveals Number Of Exemptions Is On The Rise

POSTED: 9:22 pm EDT July 29, 2007

UPDATED: 8:52 am EDT July 30, 2007

BOSTON -- More Massachusetts parents are sending their children to school

without the required vaccines, according to records obtained by Team 5

Investigates. State law requires students to have a complete immunization

record before they can enter a classroom.

That was one of the reasons why Olson took her newborn and

4-year-old to the pediatrician's office for their shots.

" I don't think it's fair for children to walk around without being

vaccinated, but that's a parent's choice, " she said.

Or is it? NewsCenter 5’s Kelley Tuthill reported Sunday that although state

law requires children to be immunized in other to attend school or day care,

parents can file for an exemption, but only for medical or religious

reasons. So why are those exemptions on the rise?

Team 5 Investigates has learned that while the number of medical exemptions

has remained virtually flat, the number of parents claiming that vaccines

violate their religious beliefs is going up.

Vaccination Exemptions By Town

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2007/0726/13762270.pdf

Year-To-Year Trend In Exemptions

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2007/0726/13762301.pdf

Last year, 474 kindergarteners received religious exemptions -- up from 343

in 2001 -- even as the total number of kindergarteners declined.

Unlike medical exemptions, which require a doctor's signature, religious

exemptions are signed only by the parent.

" No, we don't do any test of religion, " said Dr. Alfred De, chief

medical officer for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. " That's

not American, essentially, to do a test of people's religion. "

Pediatrician Dr. Cohen thinks the trend is worrisome. His practice

refuses to treat families who won't immunize their children. Even with the

increase in exemptions, Massachusetts still has one of the highest

immunization rates in the country.

" That is something we're very proud of, " Dr. Cohen said. " And if it quietly

gets subverted by families using a quasi-religious reason to not immunize

their child, it just subverts what we're trying to do for children. It's

anti-children. "

At issue is the concept of herd immunity. Studies show that if a certain

percentage of the population is immunized, diseases like polio and

diphtheria cannot spread quickly.

" The likelihood of somebody who's infected coming into contact with somebody

who can get the disease is very low, " Dr. De said. " It's sort of like

fireproofing. "

Team 5 Investigates obtained public health records that show last year, 22

kindergarteners started school in Newton without vaccines. The same is true

for 17 kindergarteners in Beverly, 31 in New Bedford, and 44 in Worcester.

(include link here for full, town-by-town breakdown)

Tuthill spoke with two mothers who received religious exemptions for their

children, but declined on-camera interviews to protect their privacy. Barry

practices naturopathic medicine, and defends these parents’ right to

choose.

" The truth is, it's not about their religion, " said. " It's about

their values. And it would be a bit of a white lie to say it's religious. "

Proponents of parental choice want Massachusetts to add a philosophical

exemption to the vaccine requirements, an option that’s available in 18

other states. But without one, the Arlington-based group Vaccine Choice

instructs parents on how to seek a religious exemption, suggesting the

following wording: " I am exempting my child from vaccination because it

conflicts with my sincerely held religious belief. "

The founder of Vaccine Choice was unavailable for an interview, but told

Team 5 Investigates she is merely trying to educate parents about their

rights under the current law.

expects even more parents to ask for these exemptions.

" The whole issue of people scratching their heads about vaccinations, I

think, is going to continue, " Dr. said. " And I would expect in this

state, if there isn't a philosophical exemption, which I don't think there

will be, I would expect the numbers for religious exemptions, as unethical

as it might be, to dramatically increase. I mean enormously. "

Even with the increase, the Department of Public Health considers the

current percentage of unvaccinated children low enough that other students

are not at risk.

Dr. Cohen still thinks the new numbers are troubling.

" You are withholding from them something easily available, well-studied and

used for years that is going to prevent their getting an illness, " Dr. Cohen

said. " It's essentially abuse. "

" These are thoughtful people, " Dr. countered. " They're not child

abusers. Oh boy, I think that's incendiary. "

Public health official warn that in the event of an outbreak, unvaccinated

students could be excluded from school for months.