Are You Looking for a Missouri Vaccination Exemption Form?

Missouri Citizens Coalition for
Freedom in Health Care

Are you looking for a Missouri vaccination exemption form?

There are several forms. You should be able to get each of them from your local Department of Health.

There are two for school children: medical and religious. Your school nurse or administrator will probably have the forms necessary to claim these exemptions. They are 3 by 5 cards declaring the appropriate exemption, with little check boxes next to each required vaccine. You check the boxes next to the vaccines your child is exempt from receiving. Your signature is required and there is a statement on each card to the effect that unimmunized children are at greater risk of catching these diseases and are subject to exclusion from school during outbreaks. A medical doctor must sign the medical exemption card. A child is medically exempt from certain vaccinations if he or she is allergic to a particular vaccine or has documented proof of immunity. Except for varicella disease (chicken pox), laboratory documentation must be submitted with the exemption card if the latter is the case. Click here to view the exemption cards for Missouri school children.

Sometimes schools (even the Department of Health itself!) will try to give you an old religious exemption card. Beware of these as they ask for your religious affiliation. Since 1994, due to the Coalition's efforts, the Missouri Department of Health is no longer allowed to define religion. The new cards do NOT ask for religious affiliation and have been available since 1994. Personal religious beliefs are as valid as membership in organized religion. Personal religious beliefs are valid despite membership in organized religion.

For preschool and day care children attending a center caring for 10 or more children the rules are similar to those for school children. The medical exemption is the same, but a "parental" objection replaces the religious exemption.

Adult food service workers in the city and county of St. Louis are required to be vaccinated for hepatitis A beginning summer of the year 2000. Exemptions are available for reasons of pregnancy, medical contraindications (allergy to hepatitis A vaccine - requires a physician's statement), religious objection, or if one can show proof of immunity to hepatitis A.

St. Louis County requires the use of a religious exemption form that is available from the Department of Health and requires you to state your religious-based objection to receiving this vaccine. This form must be notarized and is then submitted by your employer to the Department of Health for approval.

The St. Louis City Health Department requires that a notarized affidavit be filed with the employer and the St. Louis City Department of Health by persons who object to hepatitis A vaccination on religious grounds. You may wish to use the Certificate of Attest submitted by a Coalition member or contact the City Health Department for a form to file this exemption. Click here to view the Certificate of Attest.

Vaccine Law in Missouri:
Missouri Revised Statute 167.181 (for school children)
Missouri Revised Statute 210.003 (for day care and preschool children)
Missouri law requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to write rules for the administration of the required vaccines and to provide exemption forms for those legally exempted.

Rules of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
For School age Children: Chapter 28-Immunization (19 CSR 20-28.010)
The Exemption Cards: Chapter 28-Immunization (19 CSR 20.-28.020)

St. Louis Hepatitis A Vaccine Requirements
St. Louis County:
Hepatitis A Adult Vaccination Ordinance for St. Louis County Food Handlers
St. Louis County Hepatitis A Medical Exemption Form
St. Louis County Hepatitis A Religious Exemption Form

St. Louis City:
Hepatitis A Vaccination Ordinance
Hepatitis A Vaccination Requirement for Food Workers

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