Mississippi now allows religious exemptions for school vaccinations

By Kennedi Cooper

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — As of Monday, the Mississippi State Department of Health is offering religious exemption for school vaccinations.

The policy is in response to a federal court order issued in April. The exemption is in addition to the existing medical exemption process, MSDH officials said Friday.

For a religious exemption, a parent or guardian will be required to schedule an appointment at a county health department office and submit Form 139-R, which is available on the MSDH website and at health department locations. During the appointment, the parent or guardian will watch a vaccine education video and will have an opportunity to ask questions. Health department staff will complete the form and submit it to the state epidemiologist for review.

In each exemption process, the parent or guardian will be informed of any vaccine-preventable diseases for which the child has not been adequately immunized and current outbreaks that may prevent the child from attending daycare or school.

MSDH has detailed information about the exemption process on its website: msdh.ms.gov/page/14,0,71.html

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