CT Flu Shsot Requirement for School

There is NO VACCINE that is required. There is an exemption for EVERY vaccine. THey use scare tactics to bully people into vaccines. Become a fan of Dr. Tenpenny on facebook and you will find out how to obtain an exemption and you will learn so much more about the dangers of vaccines. Good Luck!

I live in CT and have school age children, my kids do not get a flu shot and it has never been required that they get a flu shot.

The flu shot is optional

So much for no lectures, eh?
Here is a site referring to the vaccine laws in your state. It appears you can get your physician to sign a simple waiver, and that is legally sufficient enough to cover not getting the flu shot.
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requiremen...

In the end we HAVE to worry first and foremost, about the health of our own children, no matter what people's opinions are about it. If I am doing what I feel is best and most healthy for my child, what someone else thinks I should do, matters not to me...personally. In addition, I won't respond to other opinions about vaccinations. I highly doubt the poster was trying to ignite a debate! I will say this, not vaccinating...does NOT equal not taking care of a child! That is simply ridiculous. I would NEVER take a sick child in public, no matter the vaccination status. That's what every parent should do. I think people don't realize that the flu shot covers a few strains of LAST years flu strains. They are also made and manufactured so quickly, there is no studies done on the long and short term reactions, and effects. The flu mutates and creates many strains every year. The flu shot is completely ineffective against new strains of the flu. Not catching the flu when you have a vaccine, means nothing!! Many people never get a vaccine and never get the flu. There is nothing to prove that getting a vaccine, is what prevented the flu. Simple cleanliness and sanitation prevents it just as well. Sorry, I'm really not trying to start a heated debate!

Agree to disagree...definitely :) I hope it didn't seem like I was trying to argue with you, I truly wasn't!!

Wow that's ridiculous. I would go with the medical waiver for sure. The flu shot for otherwise healthy people might be the most ridiculous and egregious example of Big Pharma's marketing influence. Good for you for holding your ground. If I were you I'd go one further and work to support an overturn of that law. I'm sure there are others who are just as up in arms as you.

CT allows for both a religious and medical waiver for vaccines.
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requiremen...
Lots of info on this site for you to read.
The thing that gets me is that we have to sign an informed *consent* to receive vaccines for our children. Seems like people are forced to consent, and most aren't even informed. If you decide to use the medical waiver, and your doctor won't sign it, find another doctor. You want one who will respect your decisions.

No no no. They can RECOMMEND that she get it, it is not a REQUIRED vaccine. Actually there are no laws in reality for any vaccine.They make you think there are, but there is not. You can simply tell them straight out, your child will NOT be receiving this vaccine, and you will sign whatever waiver is needed.

Such B.S. My kids don't get it, and they have been fine. Where as my friend gets her kids every vaccine under the sun as well as herself, and they are sick all the time!

Maybe CT is different then OH. But I have never heard of this being a requirement. I would double check on this, that sounds like a bullying tactic to scare you into getting it.

It does not sound as though your daughter has a medical reason not to have the vaccine. Also, the religious exemption is to protect such sects as Jehovah's witnesses who have a religious belief which makes vaccination (and life saving blood transfusions as well) anathema to them. I am unaware of any mainstream religions with a specific prohibition so I am guessing you do not have a true religious objection. So without knowingly deceiving, I do not see that you have an out within the public school system.

The rules are there as much to protect the other children and teachers as your child. It is a public health issue. There will be other children and adults who cannot (for real medical reasons) have a flu shot. For immunocompromised and older people, the flu can be fatal. Your choice is to home school - your state's choice is to protect a vulnerable population spending 6 hours a day in close quarters. Physicians are not obligated to do what a parent wants. Their obligation is to their patient's health and the public's health.

Unless you have found more recent info the flu vaccine is required in CT
http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/infectious_diseases/immuniz...

A "mandatory" flu shot every year angers me, especially when the flu strain easily changes and the manufacturers are basically guessing every year what to formulate.

Even very pro-vaccine people and doctors question this type of "mandate." It was only a few years ago that my internal medicine doctor, as well as my pediatrician, told me that only "high risk" people should receive flu vaccines (though you could do it if you wanted to). Am I now supposed to have amnesia or believe that the science has drastically changed that quickly? C'mon!

I would explore the exemption info a couple of the other moms mentioned. And no, just because you use a religious exemption does not necessarily mean that future vaccines void it (that's an urban myth). It really comes down to very specific state laws, that vary state-by-state. I have read that New York is one of the strictest states on religious exemptions, but I don't know about CT.

I'm not anti-vaccine but I also believe that our children are not pin-cushions subject to every profitable idea that pharma can dream up. And yes, vaccines are profitable, contrary to another urban myth that they are not. They are one of the few growth sectors of the industry. And most ped vaccines are not subject to the same product liability laws that every other product in this country is (see the recent USSC case known as "Bruesewitz": http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf) . Instead you're stuck going to a "vaccine court" - which is not a traditional court of law at all - no jury, different rules, etc. Awards are paid out of a fund created by a tax on every vaccine administered (not paid by the pharma co that made the product). Therefore, where is the incentive to create the safest product possible? (see Justice Sotomayor's dissent).

Again, I'm not anti-vaccine, and we homeschool. But it is still my belief that we have to resist some of these more blatant affronts to parental rights to direct the health care of our children (via excessive regulation and fear tactics), before we lose them all.

There's so much about the flu shot that doesn't sit right with me either. Most states have a religious exemption (or something similar) that you have to sign. I think only two states dont have it. And, it doesn't mean that your actual religion has to state to not take the flu shot, it's your own interpretation of your beliefs about it, if that makes sense.

It seems like there are loop holes for everything. I'm not a loop hole kind of mom. Maybe because of my career I'm not in it just for my kid but for the good of all patients. This is a public preschool, maybe you could take on those responsibilities yourself. Good luck.

I'm confused.
Your daughter had two strains of the flu last year and you don't want to give her a flu shot before going to preschool this year.
Are you more upset about your choice being taken away from you by the school or the actual vaccine?
I mean no offense. It's a legitimate question.
In California, children are required to get pertussis boosters because of a rise in whooping cough cases. Some fatal.
I was required to get one due to working in a hospital and I took my son with me to get his.
I didn't consider a loop hole. I don't want my son to get whooping cough.
Like I said, working at a hospital, I had to have flu shots, boosters, pneumonia shots. I took them because I was around sick people all the time.
You might think you can keep your sick child away from other people or vice versa, but with incubation periods, it's not always possible.

That said, I believe there is a way to refuse vaccines for your children. It's your choice. I don't know what they do if you find a loop hole. I mean, my kids had verification of their vaccines. I've always had proof of negative TB tests and vaccines for employment purposes. I don't know what happens if you refuse for school children. For whatever reason.
I've never refused and I have two amazingly healthy kids.

I'm interested to have a minute to read the responses.

I had the same issue with my son's private preschool last year. I was told by the school's administrative assistant that I should write a letter stating that it was against our beliefs and therefore choosing to decline the flu shot. That worked out fine for us.

Good Luck!

I agree with Bug... I would assume your Dr would have some sort of waiver to sign.

Best of Luck!!

My nephew is allergic to eggs and the vaccine is processed somehow with eggs so after the first time he had the vaccine and had a terrible reaction his pediatrician said he should never have it again.

I checked online and you have the same option in CT, if your daughter shouldn't have it, your doctor signs a written statement saying she has a medical contraindication to the vaccine and she doesn't have to have it. You can also opt out with a signed (by you) written statement that the vaccine violates your religious beliefs or practices, (however, if you choose this and later vaccinate you lose the exemption.)

This is exactly what the vaccine requirement says:

1) the child care provider has received a statement signed by the child’s HCP indicating that the child has an appointment to receive the required immunization (this is considered “immunization in progress”). Continued enrollment in day care for more than thirty days after the named
immunization appointment shall be contingent on the child care provider receiving written documentation from the HCP stating either: that the named appointment was kept and the child received the scheduled immunizations, or that the child was unable to receive the scheduled
immunizations for medical reasons and a new appointment date is named;
2) the child care provider has received a statement signed and dated by the child’s HCP indicating that the child has a medical contraindication to immunization; 3) the child care provider has received a written statement that immunization is contrary to the religious beliefs and practices of the child or the parent of such child. Such statement shall be signed by the child's parent.
~ (So these would be your ways "around it.")

Here is the full text of the new vaccine requirements:
http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/daycare/pdf/DCC_Flu_and_Hep...

And here is more information on flu vaccines:
www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/index.htm

I have never heard of the flu shot requirement and the only one my kids got was the swine one. I would ask for a religious waiver and see where they go with that.

My kids are in the CT public school system and I haven't heard anything about a flu shot. Are you sure this in a CT issue or is it just your school district?

I don't think you can be forced to get your DD the shot... you might want to call around to the schools in your area & ask what exceptions there are to that rule