Open House - February 11, 2015

Kindergarten Information Night - February 10, 2015

Nonmedical Waiver for Michigan Schools and Licensed Childcares

ECEC Families,

Michigan recently modified the administrative rules that change how nonmedical waivers for immunizations will be processed for school/childcare programs. The new rule went into effect on January 1, 2015.

With Michigan having one of the highest waiver rates in the country, a proactive approach has been established to help inform everyone regarding the benefits of vaccinations and the risks of disease. Some counties in Michigan have waiver rates as high as 20.7%. This means that more than 20% of the students in those counties haven’t gotten all their vaccines. Some school buildings have even higher waiver rates. The hope is that the new rule will help answer any questions/concerns one may have regarding immunizations.

Key Points

• The new rule applies to all children who are enrolled in a public or private:
• Licensed childcare, preschool, and Head Start programs
• Kindergarten, 7th grade, and any newly enrolled student into the school district
• The new rule does not take away your right to obtain a nonmedical waiver.
• Nonmedical waivers (religious or philosophical (other) objections) will need to be obtained from a county health department; the schools/childcare centers will not have them.
• Parents/Guardians must follow these steps when requesting a nonmedical waiver:
• Contact your county health department for an appointment to speak with a health educator.
• During the visit, there will be an opportunity to have a discussion about immunizations with the county health department staff.
• If at the end of the visit, you request a nonmedical waiver for your child, you will receive a copy of the current, certified (stamped and signed) State of Michigan Nonmedical Waiver Form.
• Schools/childcare centers will only accept the current, official State of Michigan form (Current date: January 1, 2015).
• Forms cannot be altered in any way (such as crossing information out).
• Take completed, certified waiver form to your child’s school or childcare center.
• If your child has a medical reason (a true contraindication or precaution) for not receiving a vaccine, a physician must sign the State of Michigan Medical Contraindication form; this form is available at your doctor’s office (not the county health department).
• Based on the public health code, a child without either an up-to-date immunization record, a certified nonmedical waiver form or a physician signed medical waiver form can be excluded from school/childcare.

For more information, please visit www.michigan.gov/immunize > then click on Local Health Departments > then click on Immunization Waiver Information. There is a list of all the county health departments on this website, along with their addresses and phone numbers.