Vaccinations for schoolchildren: Columbia’s policy and what parents think about it

With the start of the school year just a few weeks away, ABC 17 News is taking a closer look at vaccination requirements for kids attending public school in Missouri.

State law says “students must present documentation of up-to-date immunization status, including month, day, and year of each immunization before attending school.” However, medical or religious exemptions can be a possible concern for some parents.

“There are children that have to stay home for months at a time because a simple cold that one child’s body could fight would send him to the hospital for months at a time,” one Columbia parent told ABC 17 News.

Other parents say they value their right to choose.

“There’s lots of conflicting information and it’s really hard as a parent to know what is true. I think that there is a lot of say for parents’ freedom in choosing those things.”

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says “immunizations are the best protection against serious diseases,” but a “religious exemption can be filed for selected vaccines or for all vaccines.” A spokeswoman for Columbia Public Schools says their policy follows state law.

“Actively choosing not to immunize a child by claiming a religious exemption is a parent’s right; however, it carries significant responsibility,” the health department states on its website. “To protect inadequately vaccinated individuals and the entire community, unimmunized children can be excluded from school during disease outbreaks…no exceptions are made, regardless of the circumstances.”

Another parent told ABC 17 News that he’s comfortable with the religious exemption, but hopes the appropriate steps will be taken in the case of a public health concern.

“If it’s a public health threat, I think most people would probably agree, all kids need shots, to a certain extent.”

If you want to learn more about vaccinating your child, head to MUHealth or HealthyChildren.org.