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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	February 11, 2015 09:23 AM
From:	Representative Becky Corbin and Rep. Michael H. Schlossberg
To:	All House members
Subject:	Immunization Exemptions

In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that, if enacted, would amend the Public School Code to remove the immunization exemption for philosophical reasons. Currently in Pennsylvania, there are three exemptions to childhood immunization—medical, religious and philosophical. For a child to be exempt for medical reasons, the child’s physician must provide a written statement that the immunization is detrimental to the child’s health. Under the religious and philosophical exemption, a parent, guardian or emancipated child may object in writing to the immunization on religious grounds, or on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief. According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report from 2013, thirteen percent of kindergarten students in Pennsylvania had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. This puts Pennsylvania in the top five states with the most unvaccinated children for MMR. Furthermore, a breakdown of exemptions used in the 2013-2014 school year provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health showed that philosophical exemptions were the most commonly used. Our legislation simply removes the philosophical immunization exemption to better protect our citizens and communities from debilitating and deadly diseases that can be prevented through the administration of a vaccine. We hope you will join in cosponsoring this important legislation. Thank you for your interest and support.

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