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RECOMMENDATIONS VS.
LAWS: It is important for you to know the legal requirements
of the vaccination laws in your state and to understand the difference
between a legal requirement and a recommendation. While vaccine
policymakers in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that the MMR shot be
given to all children, your state may legally require only measles
and rubella vaccines. In this case, you have the legal option to
vaccinate with only measles and rubella vaccines and not with mumps
vaccine.
You also have the option in most states to be
exempted from vaccination or re-vaccination if you can show proof
of existing immunity. You can go to a private laboratory for a blood
test to determine if there are enough antibodies to prove existing
immunity to a disease such as measles or whooping cough. A blood
test that measures antibody levels can cost $55 or more, depending
on the disease.
When making an informed vaccination decision,
it is important to consider whether one or more of the following
factors will affect the safety and effectiveness of a particular
vaccine or combination of vaccines your child will receive:
- Child's age
- State of health at the time of vaccination
- Number and types of vaccines to be given simultaneously
- Past history of acute vaccine reactions or
serious health
problems following vaccination
- Family history of vaccine reactions, severe
allergies
or autoimmune or neurological disorders
Click here for an explanation of the
legal exemptions to vaccination
Philosophical
| Religious | Medical
| Proof of Immunity
Information for each state is provided below.
You may access your state information by clicking your state on
the map or by locating your state in the text links below.
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