Can i refuse vaccines

In normal times, individuals have the choice to accept or to refuse a vaccine. However, the Public Health Act grants the government special powers during public health emergencies.

This act also gives the regional director of public health the power to order unvaccinated people to stay away from any place where there is an outbreak of a contagious disease.

In these extraordinary situations, a judge can even order someone to take the vaccine if they refuse. However, there are ways to contest mandatory vaccine orders.

For example, people may invoke their religious beliefs. However, it is unclear whether these types of exemptions would succeed as no court has yet been asked to decide this question. To give someone a vaccine — either an adult or a minor — they must first consent. Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the Defense Health Agency may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for Department of Defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations.

Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website. Need larger text? Immunization Exemption Guidance Vaccination programs are important to military public health and readiness. Where can I get more information? What are the different types of military exemptions? For example, a history of laboratory-confirmed measles or a blood test serology demonstrating measles antibodies is considered by CDC ACIP to meet the criteria for measles immunity; exemption from measles vaccine may apply to patients meeting these criteria.

There are many vaccine-preventable infections e. What happens when patients disagree with an exemption decision? If a significant portion of the workforce refuses to comply, the employer may be put in the very difficult position of either adhering to the mandate and terminating all of these employees, or deviating from the mandate for certain employees, which Coburn said can increase the risk of discrimination claims.

Employers that are not required to mandate vaccination may wish to continue focusing on steps they can take to encourage and incentivize employees to get vaccinated. For example, Coburn said employers may want to:. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Allen Smith, J. By Allen Smith, J. Reuse Permissions. Image Caption.

Communicable Diseases Employment Law. You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark. OK My Bookmarks. Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. Delete Cancel. You have successfully removed bookmark. Delete canceled. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. OK Proceed. Your session has expired. Please log in as a SHRM member. Cancel Sign In.