Boston University Student Health Services gives students the option to opt-out of certain vaccination requirements if it is conflict with their religious beliefs.
On SHS’s website, it states that a “religious waiver” is given to students who believe that the vaccination requirements do not adhere to their religion. The website does not specify what types of vaccines can be waived.
Tyler Seubert, a patient services coordinator at SHS, said the process for receiving a religious waiver requires a letter and a meeting with SHS.
“If you are looking to waive for religious reasons, you would basically write a letter stating the reason why you don’t want to take the vaccination,” Seubert said. “You would submit that and we would enter that into the system and you would make an appointment with one of our providers and we would go over the details of immunizations and then we would waive you after that process.”
While every state in the US requires students to be vaccinated, religious exemptions are allowed in all but three states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, most states, including Massachusetts, do not allow exemptions for personal beliefs.
Although disputed by the scientific community, many people believe that vaccines are unsafe and can cause autism, but that is not what the religious exemption is about.
The specifics of religious opposition to vaccines vary across religions and denominations. According to an article in the Croatian Medical Journal, Catholics who oppose vaccines do so because of vaccines that use “cell lines derived from a voluntarily aborted fetus,” like ones for rubella, hepatitis, and chicken pox.
Some Orthodox Protestant parents refuse to vaccinate their children because it is “an act of interfering with divine providence.” Some Buddhists say vaccines go against one of the Ten Buddhist Precepts, “not taking life.”
Gracie Abdalla, freshman in the College of Arts in Science studying biology, said she doesn’t think the science is up for debate and the waiver might not be a good policy.
“It has been continuously proven that vaccines are safe,” Abdalla said. “Vaccines do not cause autism nor any other health complications and I think it is important that people understand that. Also, I think the policy regarding religious waiver should be re-examined.”
Some students were unaware that there was a religious waiver option for required vaccines at BU. Daniela Kotsonis, a freshman in CAS studying biology, said she was not informed that this was part of the policy.
“I’d say that [anti-vaxxers] are really selfish because they are not only putting themselves in danger but they are also putting others in danger as well,” said Kotsonis. “And I think [the waiver] should be removed because I wasn’t informed about it beforehand. I also think that students’ health should be prioritized over certain beliefs. Giving some students that option is not giving the rest of the student population the safety that they need.”
Amanda O’Connor, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said she there should not be waivers to be exempt from vaccines.
“I think all kids should be vaccinated or not allowed in schools,” said O’Connor. “Because they are making other kids open to diseases. Also the parents [are] put[ting] their child at risk for these diseases that are preventable.”
Frank Serpe, a sophomore in CAS, said he was concerned about the religious waivers.
“Personally I don’t support that,” Serpe said. “I understand that certain people have religious views and that should be respected — Orthodox, Catholic, Judaism, Islam, whatever it is — but when it comes down to public health safety, I think health takes precedence.”
When reached for comment, BU spokesperson Colin Riley did not comment on the policy other than to emphasize that “documentation and an appointment to review the request with a medical provider is required.”