Last school year, more Tennessee families sent their children to kindergarten unvaccinated with a religious exemption than had in recent memory.
Kindergarteners are required to receive a series of shots by the time they enter a public school, per requirements from the Tennessee Department of Health.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 %6??6DD66 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 92D AF3=:D965 :ED z:?56C82CE6? x>>F?:K2E:@? r@>A=:2?46 pDD6DD>6?E #6A@CE 2??F2==J D:?46 2E =62DE a_`b[ 244@C5:?8 E@ DA@<6DA6CD@? s62? u=6?6C] %96C6 :D 2 AFD9 7@C E96 |6EC@A@=:E2? q@2C5 @7 w62=E9 E@ 368:? 4@==64E:?8 :>>F?:K2E:@? C64@C5D 7@C 49:=5 42C6 46?E6CD[ E@@[ 2D 6G:56?465 3J kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?2D9G:==6]=68:DE2C]4@>^{68:D=2E:@?s6E2:=]2DAInxsleb``hf_U2>Ajv&xslqgseeuar\eq_`\cqet\q`ph\_dtru_bfddcrTa_Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2 C6D@=FE:@?k^2mk^DEC@?8m E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 3J E96 |6EC@ r@F?4:= @? %F6D52J]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 DE2E6 962=E9 56A2CE>6?E >62DFC6D 6249 4@F?EJ 282:?DE 2? :562= E9C6D9@=5 @7 hd A6C46?E @7 <:?56C82CE6?6CD G244:?2E65] s2G:5D@? r@F?EJ 72==D D9@CE @7 E96 E9C6D9@=5[ 2E ha]d A6C46?E @7 DEF56?ED 7F==J :>>F?:K65] s2G:5D@? r@F?EJ 2=D@ 4=@4<D :? D9@CE @7 E96 DE2E6H:56 2G6C286 @7 hb]b A6C46?E @7 <:?56C82CE6?6CD G244:?2E65] %96 C6A@CE D9@HD E96 D64@?5 DEC2:89E J62C @7 564=:?6 :? :>>F?:K2E:@? 4@G6C286 DE2E6H:56] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%sw 92D 49@D6? 2 hd A6C46?E E9C6D9@=5 2D 2? :562= :>>F?:K2E:@? 8@2= 3642FD6 E9:D :D E96 A6C46?E286 @7 E96 A@AF=2E:@? E92E H@F=5 ?665 E@ 36 G244:?2E65 282:?DE 2 9:89=J :?764E:@FD 5:D62D6 WDF49 2D >62D=6DX E@ 6?DFC6 AC@E64E:@? 7@C E96 6?E:C6 A@AF=2E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 F?23=6 E@ 36 G244:?2E65 3642FD6 @7 E96:C 286 @C 5F6 E@ @E96C C62D@?D[” D2:5 u=6?6C] k^Am
kAm$E2E6H:56 EC6?5D D9@H 2 D:K23=6 564C62D6 :? <:?56C82CE6? G244:?2E:@?D :? E96 A2DE EH@ D49@@= J62CD] x? E96 a_a_\a` D49@@= J62C[ E96 DE2E6 C6A@CE65 E92E fa @7 %6??6DD66’D hd 4@F?E:6D >6E E96 hd A6C46?E 7F==J :>>F?:K65 E9C6D9@=5] %96 ?6IE J62C[ E92E 925 564C62D65 E@ cb 4@F?E:6D] x? a_aa\ab[ @?=J ae 4@F?E:6D >6E E96 hd A6C46?E E9C6D9@=5] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x E9:?< E9:D G244:?6 96D:E2?4J E92E A6@A=6 2C6 A6C46:G:?8 2D ;FDE 92AA6?65 @C :D :?4C62D:?8 3642FD6 @7 r~'xs AC@323=J 2=C625J 6I:DE65[” D2:5 z6CC:\p?? p?56CD@?[ '2?56C3:=E &?:G6CD:EJ C6D62C496C 2?5 8C25F2E6 DEF56?E] “xEVD ;FDE E92E E92E H2D 2 4C:D:D @C D@>6 EC:886C 7@C A6@A=6 E@ DE2CE E9:?<:?8 23@FE G244:?2E:@?D 2== @G6C 282:? — C66G2=F2E:?8 E96:C G2=F6D[ H9J E96J G244:?2E6[ H92E E96J 24EF2==J E9:?< 23@FE G244:?6D]” k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 AF3=:4 D49@@=D H:E9 E96 =@H6DE G244:?2E:@? C2E6D :? s2G:5D@? r@F?EJ H6C6 w2EE:6 r@EE@? $%t| |28?6E t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= H:E9 2 fh]c A6C46?E G244:?2E:@? C2E6 2?5 y@?6D !2:56:2 t=6>6?E2CJ |28?6E $49@@= 2E fd A6C46?E] }2A:6C t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= 2?5 y@9? q] (9:ED:EE t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= 3@2DE65 `__ A6C46?E G244:?2E:@? C2E6D[ H:E9 v=6?52=6 t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= 2?5 wF==\y24<D@? t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= C6249:?8 hg]e A6C46?E] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm~7 E96 DEF56?ED H9@ H6C6 ?@E 7F==J :>>F?:K65 :? s2G:5D@? r@F?EJ[ E96 =2C86DE 8C@FA 925 C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@?D[ 7@==@H65 3J E6>A@C2CJ :>>F?:K2E:@? 46CE:7:42E6D[ :?4@>A=6E6 C64@C5D 2?5 >:DD:?8 C64@C5D[ H:E9 E96 D>2==6DE 8C@FA 7:=:?8 >65:42= 6I6>AE:@?D] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$E2E6H:56[ E96 AF3=:4 D49@@= C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@? ;F>A65 7C@> a]a A6C46?E E@ a]h A6C46?E 36EH66? E96 a_a`\aa 2?5 a_aa\ab 2DD6DD>6?ED] !C:G2E6 D49@@=D D2H 2? 6G6? >@C6 D:8?:7:42?E ;F>A :? C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@?D[ FA 7C@> a]a A6C46?E E@ d A6C46?E J62C\@G6C\J62C] !C:G2E6 D49@@=D H6C6 =6DD =:<6=J E@ DF3>:E :>>F?:K2E:@? 52E2[ 9@H6G6C[ H:E9 @?=J fb A6C46?E @7 E9@D6 2D<65 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 4@>A2C65 E@ he A6C46?E @7 AF3=:4 D49@@=D] x? kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E?]8@G^4@?E6?E^52>^E?^962=E9^5@4F>6?ED^2??F2=\C6A@CED^z\$FCG6J\#6A@CE\a_a_\a_a`]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE96 a_a_\a` D49@@= J62Ck^2mk^DEC@?8m[ `]g A6C46?E @7 DEF56?ED FD65 2 C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@? DE2E6H:56] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@? :D C6=2E:G6=J 62DJ E@ @3E2:? :? %6??6DD66 — :E C6BF:C6D 2 D:8?65 DE2E6>6?E 3J 2 A2C6?E @C 8F2C5:2? DE2E:?8 E92E E96 G244:?2E:@? 4@?7=:4ED H:E9 E96 72>:=J’D C6=:8:@FD E6?6ED] w@H6G6C[ DEF56?ED 6?E6C:?8 :?E@ |6EC@ }2D9G:==6 !F3=:4 $49@@=D >FDE 92G6 2 962=E9 6I2>:?2E:@?[ 2?5 E96 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56C >FDE ?@E6 E96 C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@?] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D4:6?465:C64E]4@>^D4:6?46^2CE:4=6^23D^A::^$__c_dg_hab___adcnG:2Tbs:9F3Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm#6D62C496CD 2E '2?56C3:=E &?:G6CD:EJk^2mk^DEC@?8m 92G6 7@F?5 E92E G244:?6 96D:E2?4J :D ?@E9:?8 ?6H[ 3FE E96C6 2C6 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]G2?56C3:=E]65F^a_ab^_e^a_^EC2?D>:DD:@?\@7\G244:?6\96D:E2?E\36=:67D\2>@?8\A2C6?ED\:D\2\<6J\AC65:4E@C\@7\G244:?2E:@?\4@G6C286\2?5\5:D62D6\C:D<\2>@?8\49:=5C6?^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2 76H <6J 724E@CDk^2mk^DEC@?8m — :?4=F5:?8 4@>>F?:EJ :?7=F6?46 2?5 =@H 32CC:6CD E@ 6I6>AE:@? — 5C:G:?8 G244:?2E:@? 564:D:@?D E@52J] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp?56CD@? E@=5 E96 k6>m!@DEk^6>m E92E 36=:67D 2C6 ?@E 7F==J AC65:4E:G6 @7 3692G:@CD H96? :E 4@>6D E@ G244:?2E:@?] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x7 2 G244:?6 92D DEC:4E 6I6>AE:@?D[ 7@C 6I2>A=6 :7 E96C6 2C6 ?@ 6I6>AE:@?D 36D:56D >65:42=[ J@F’C6 567:?:E6=J 8@:?8 E@ D66 2? :?4C62D6 :? G244:?6 @FE4@>6D[” D96 D2:5] “'244:?6 4@?7:56?46 @C 96D:E2?4J >2J ?@E 492?86] !6@A=6 >2J DE:== 9@=5 @? E@ E96:C D2>6 36=:67D[ 3FE 3692G:@CD >:89E 492?86]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$96 ?@E65 E92E A2C6?ED >:89E 2=D@ D:8? E96 C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@? E@ D2G6 E:>6[ 3642FD6 E96J 5@ ?@E 92G6 62DJ 2446DD E@ E2<6 E96:C 49:=5 E@ 86E G244:?2E65] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmr@\C6D62C496C }:4@=6 rC62?K2[ 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C @7 3:@=@8:42= D4:6?46D[ D2:5 E92E H96? :E 4@>6D E@ G244:?6 564:D:@?D[ A6@A=6 2C6 :?7=F6?465 3J E96 @A:?:@?D @7 E9@D6 2C@F?5 E96>[ H96E96C :? 72G@C @7 @C @AA@D:E:@? E@ G244:?2E:@? x? 255:E:@?[ >@56C? E649?@=@8J 2==@HD A6@A=6 E@ 4@?DF>6 @A:?:@?D 7C@> E9@D6 H:E9 H9@> E96J >:89E ?@E A9JD:42==J :?E6C24E[ 2?5 E9@D6 @A:?:@?D 9@=5 H6:89E 6DA64:2==J :7 E96J A6C46:G6 E92E :?5:G:5F2= E@ 36 :>A@CE2?E @C 65F42E65] |:D:?7@C>2E:@? 42? E9C:G6 E9:D H2J[ rC62?K2 D2:5] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x E9:?< 62DJ 2446DD E@ 244FC2E6 :?7@C>2E:@? — >2<:?8 :E D@ E92E G6C:7:23=6 2?5 D4:6?E:7:42==J C:8@C@FD :?7@C>2E:@? :D C62==J 62DJ E@ 7:?5 — :E’D ?@E 2 4FC6\2==[ 3642FD6 :7 A6@A=6 H2?E E@ 7:?5 @E96C :?7@C>2E:@?[ E96J 42? D66< :E @FE 2?5 7:?5 :E[” D96 D2:5] k^Am
