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Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier is urging Catholic schools to grant religious exemptions for vaccinations or risk their eligibility for state scholarship programs. He argues that Florida law requires that both public and private schools exempt students from vaccination requirements if a parent has a religious objection. Despite this, some Catholic schools have reportedly rejected exemptions on the grounds that the church does not teach that using vaccines made from cell lines derived from aborted fetuses is inherently evil.
Florida AG Warns Catholic Schools over Vaccination Exemptions
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a warning to Catholic schools: accept religious exemptions for vaccinations or risk state scholarship programs eligibility. He communicated this in a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Uthmeier criticized the stance of at least one diocese, which he alleges uses a viewpoint from the National Catholic Bioethics Center that vaccinations made from cell lines derived from an aborted fetus aren’t evil. Thus, schools can’t provide an exemption on this basis.
Such a policy is alarming as Florida law mandates schools to exempt students from vaccination requirements if parents argue religious objections, Uthmeier said. He stressed that Catholic schools risk losing eligibility for state scholarship programs if they fail to respect the law.
Executive Director of the National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools, Dan Guernsey, expressed his support for Uthmeier’s letter. He believes it opens more opportunities for faith-based education.
Guernsey, a veteran in Catholic education, noted he had to reject families whose kids weren’t vaccinated. These parents often held reservations about vaccines because of links to abortion or health concerns.
The issue is mainly seen in the southeast U.S. Guernsey argued that the exemption refusals are likely due to safety concerns and fear of negative press. He emphasized that Catholic teaching encourages following your conscience and supports parents’ rights to Catholic education.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests timely immunization for all children, considering vaccines as the most cost-effective way of preventing diseases. The AAP opposes nonmedical exemptions to school-required immunizations.
Michele Taylor, FCCB’s Director of Communications, stated they are reviewing the letter and will respond by the requested date of August 7.
The AAP explains that some vaccines are crafted from human cell cultures from two fetuses aborted in the 1960s. No new aborted fetuses are needed as these cell lines are still in use. Vaccines for chickenpox, rubella, and hepatitis A are some examples of vaccines produced this way.
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