Regulations were recently passed by the PA Departments of Health and Education that changed vaccine requirements for students in public, private, parochial, and home schools. The provisional period was shortened from 8 months to 5 days and several new vaccines were added to the schedule, however
YOUR RIGHT TO AN EXEMPTION HAS NOT CHANGED!
Pennsylvanians still have the right to use one of three valid vaccine exemptions: medical, religious, or “strong moral or ethical belief” sometimes referred to as a philosophical exemption. See the PA school code here.
School districts across the state are announcing the changes, but many are neglecting to tell parents of their rights which are guaranteed under PA law regarding vaccine exemptions.
If your school district is misinforming parents of their rights, we suggest you:
- Inform the school administrators and school board that the law allows for exemptions and they are misinforming the public which could negatively impact students.
- Immediately contact your PA Senator and Representative to inform them that your school district is misinforming parents. Please ask your state legislator to protect existing exemptions and ask that they initiate legislation that would require schools to accurately inform parents of the vaccine regulations (including exemptions) as this topic is vitally important to you. Schools must be required to tell the truth and MUST be held accountable for lying.
- Ask your state legislators to support legislation that will reform the regulatory system and prevent state agencies from passing additional vaccine requirements without legislative involvement.
Removing exemptions requires legislative action and state senators and representatives are accountable to their constituents at the voting booth. There is no such accountability for state agencies that use the regulatory system to increase vaccine mandates.