5 Things Christians Need to Know about Religious Exemptions and Vaccines

It’s largely believed by mainstream media that COVID-19 eroded the trust of the American public regarding vaccines in general. There are multiple reasons that this distrust occurred. The American Academy of Family Physicians reported on an informal poll conducted by BMJ Journal, which sought to gain insights into this. A series of open-ended questions were asked of those specifically in the Black and Latino communities. Five common reasons were found:

The safety of the vaccines, including vaccine ingredients and a belief that the vaccines were the direct cause of some deaths.
Doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccines, especially because of news stories about new variants, instances of vaccinated people who still contracted COVID-19, and reports of those who were vaccinated still passing the virus along to others.
A belief that the risk of taking the vaccine (which was fast-tracked through normal FDA procedures) was greater than contracting the actual illness.
Their lack of trust in institutions such as physicians, the government, and public health authorities.
Concerns that outcomes differed by race or ethnicity.

One other reason that isn’t uncommon is religious reasons. The National Library of Medicine notes a poll that found that about 15.4 percent of respondents worldwide chose to refuse vaccines because vaccines conflict with their religious beliefs.

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1. What Are Religious Exemptions

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Basically, a religious exemption is a sincerely held belief, rooted in religion, that opposes vaccinations, and sometimes also other forms of medical intervention. There are very few religions that oppose medical treatment. Therefore, if that exemption is claimed, some states may require those claiming that exemption to sign a form allowing a person to opt-out, according to WebMD.

Each state is a bit different regarding the formalities of claiming a religious exemption (or any other exemption such as medical or personal/philosophical), but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is applicable in this instance because it states that employees can’t be discriminated against based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin or religion, according to IncentFit.

It’s also important to note that there have been court cases in which people whose religious group doesn’t necessarily oppose vaccines or medical treatment were still able to qualify for religious exemption. The reasoning used in those court cases is that the Constitution’s Equal Protection clause should protect all people, not just those who claim to belong to a certain religion that happens to have recognized objections, according to History of Vaccinations.

There was a series of Supreme Court decisions that were made during Covid-19 that made it more difficult for the government to interfere with people citing religious reasons for refusing immunizations and other medical treatments, according to The Network for Public Health.

2. Which States Allow Religious Exemptions

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Presently, all states allow for some level of religious exemptions in connection to vaccines, but some may make it more complicated than others to get an exemption based on religious reasons, according to Simmons University.

There has been an increase in the use of religious exemptions in connection to vaccines. During COVID-19, the Catholic Church made an argument for exemption in incidences whereby the cell line of an aborted fetus was used in testing for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to IncentFit.

3. Requirements for a Religious Exemption

3. Requirements for a Religious Exemption

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Employers are encouraged by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to believe that requests they receive from employees regarding religious exemptions are sincere. While they are mandated to consider each request, they aren’t mandated to approve them. At the same time, employers do need to make reasonable accommodations when a request is denied.

While employees don’t need to prove that their religious objection is observed by a large group, they do need to prove that it’s one that they’ve sincerely held for a significant amount of time prior to their submission of the request, according to IncentFit.

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4. Tips for Obtaining a Religious Exemption

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This will vary from state to state, and most likely, from employer to employer. The Law Offices of DuPont & Blumenstiel recommend checking with the business that has the vaccine mandate to see if they have a specific form that needs to be completed for an exemption. If obtaining an exemption becomes an issue, then they suggest checking with an attorney for possible assistance.

Writing a formal letter to one’s employer is another way that a religious request can be obtained. However, it’s a good plan to also have a good friend, family member, or someone from your church write a letter supporting your vaccine objection(s).

5. Other Types of Exemptions

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There are also other reasons people can state that are connected to refusing a vaccine. If a person has a complicating disease, health issues (such as a medicine that weakens their immune system), negative reaction to previous immunizations, or one or more allergies to the ingredients in the vaccine, then a medical exemption can be claimed. Usually a form has to be signed by a doctor for this to apply.

People can typically find out what ingredients are in a vaccine by contacting the vaccine manufacturer. One website that can be checked for this information is Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

One other reason that can be stated is philosophical (or personal) reasons. Presently, there are 15 states that will allow for this. In some cases, this one can be more complicated than a medical exemption because it may require a person to oppose all vaccinations, not just one of them.

Elizabeth Delaney Author Headshot Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.