Ill. Admin. Code tit. 77, § 665.510 - Religious Objection
a)
Children entering any public, private or parochial school or a
preschool program operated by an elementary or secondary school or institution
of higher learning whose parents or legal guardians object to health,
dental or eye examinations or any part thereof, to
immunizations,or to vision and hearing screening tests on
religious grounds shall not be required to undergo the examinations, tests or
immunizations to which they so object if such parents or legal guardians
present to the appropriate local school authority a signed Certificate of
Religious Exemption detailing the grounds for the objection and the specific
immunizations, tests or examinations to which they object in
accordance with subsections (f) and (g).
b)
The grounds for the
religious objection must set forth the specific religious belief that
conflicts with the examination, test, immunization or other medical
intervention. The religious objection stated need not be directed by the tenets
of an established religious organization. However, general philosophical or
moral reluctance to allow physical examinations, eye examinations,
immunizations, vision and hearing screenings, or dental examinations does not
provide a sufficient basis for an exception.
c)
The signed Certificate of
Religious Exemption shall also reflect the parent's or legal guardian's
understanding of the school's exclusion policies in the case of a
vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or exposure.
d)
The Certificate of
Religious Exemption must also be signed by the authorized examining
health care provider responsible for the performance of the child's health
examination confirming that the provider provided education to the parent or
legal guardian on the benefits of the immunization and the health risks to the
student and to the community of the communicable diseases for which
immunization is required in this State. However, thehealth
care provider's signature on the certificate reflects only that education was
provided and does not allow the health care provider grounds to determine a
religious exemption.
e)
The local school authority is responsible for determining if the
content of the Certificate of Religious Exemption constitutes a valid religious
objection. The local school authority shall inform the parent or legal guardian
of exclusion procedures in accordance with the Control of Communicable
Diseases Code at the time the objection is presented. The
Certificate of Religious Exemption form shall be placed on file in the
student's permanent record.
f)
Parents or legal guardians must submit the Certificate of Religious
Exemption to their local school authority prior to entering kindergarten,
sixth, and ninth gradefor each child for which they are
requesting an exemption. (Section 27-8.1(8) of the School
Code)
g) Use of the Certificate of
Religious Exemption applies to students transferring into school districts at
any grade or students entering preschool programs operated by elementary or
secondary schools. If the permanent record transferred with the student
includes a valid Certificate of Religious Exemption, the new school district or
preschool program shall accept the Certificate presented as if the Certificate
had been initially presented to the new school.
h) The Certificate of Religious Exemption and
subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d) are also applicable to children entering
child care facilities not operated by an elementary or secondary school or
institution of higher learning whose parents or legal guardians object to
health, dental or eye examinations, immunizations or vision or hearing
screening tests on religious grounds. The child care facility shall inform the
parents or legal guardians of outbreak control exclusion procedures, in
accordance with the Control of Communicable Diseases Code, at the time the
religious exemption is presented. The child care facility shall attach the form
to the child's health record and place the record in the child's permanent
record.
Notes
Amended at 33 Ill. Reg. 8459, effective June 8, 2009
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