Hello Geketa
I commend you on your decision to not vaccinate your children. In light of some newer research I believe that this was a decision made on a very sound basis. In fact, in light of even some of the oldest research, this is still a good decision. It appears to me that there has been much more effort put into promoting vaccinations than there has been put into making sure that they are safe and effective.
The real problem though, is not necessarily obtaining an exemption from vaccinating your children. As I have mentioned earlier, most states offer two types of exemptions and some offer three. An exemption based on religious grounds or for medical reasons is relatively easy to obtain. The third type of exemption is offered in only a few states and is based of philosophical reasons.
The real problems arise when the unvaccinated child reaches school age. The laws regarding this situation are quite vague and are often left open to interpretation by school officials and / or state health departments. It is possible that one will have to litigate their case in the court system and this could be very costly.
The following is an example of the types of laws that are written for the purpose of persuading parents to vaccinate their children, regardless of their concerns about the safety and welfare of their children.
6. In the event that a person in parental relation to a child makes application for admission of such child to a school or has a child attending school and there exists no certificate or other acceptable evidence of the child's immunization against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella and, where applicable, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), the principal, teacher, owner or person in charge of the school shall inform such person of the necessity to have the child immunized, that such immunization may be administered by any health practitioner, or that the child may be immunized without charge by the health officer in the county where the child resides, if such person executes a consent thereof. In the event that such person does not wish to select a health practitioner to administer the immunization, he shall be provided with a form, which shall give notice that as a prerequisite to processing the application for admission to, or for continued attendance at, the school such person shall state a valid reason for withholding consent or consent shall be given for immunization to be administered by a health officer in the public employ, or by a school physician or nurse. The form shall provide for the execution of a consent by such person and it shall also state that such person need not execute such consent if subdivision eight or nine of this section apply to such child.
7.
No principal, teacher, owner or person in charge of a school shall permit any child to be admitted to such school, or to attend such school, in excess of fourteen days, without the certificate provided for in subdivision five of this section or some other acceptable evidence of the child's immunization against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella and, where applicable, Haemophilus influenza type b(Hib); provided, however, such fourteen day period may be extended to not more than thirty days for an individual student by the appropriate principal, teacher, owner or other person in charge where such student is transferring from out-of-state or from another country an can show a good faith effort to get the necessary certification or other evidence of immunization.
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/Laws-Regs/Attendance/2164PH.htm
Sincerely, Billdaddy