AAP Wants to End Religious Vaccine Exemptions for School

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has renewed its push to eliminate nonmedical exemptions—in other words, religious exemptions—for routine childhood vaccinations. In a revised policy statement issued on July 28, 2025, which was followed three days later by updated vaccination stats from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) emphasizing an increase in exemptions, the AAP stressed the importance of medical exemptions for children with legitimate health concerns but warned that nonmedical exemptions are creating disparities in immunization coverage. The group, which doesn’t publicly display contributions from its donors but which receives donations from Big Pharma, insists that those exemptions, which vary widely across states, are weakening the safety of school environments and increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Like clockwork, those profiting from the harmful and toxic-laden long list of vaccinations being injected into our children have previously laid the groundwork to attempt to support AAP’s claim that vaccines are the golden ticket. Natural immunity be damned. An investigation published in JAMA on July 16, 2025, declared that vaccines don’t just protect individuals, they strengthen the health of entire communities. The study noted that herd immunity is real, but guess what? It is most effective when the majority of individuals are vaccinated. The study, funded by a grant from the CDC and conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, concluded:

“In this decision analytical modeling study, vaccination against influenza revealed considerable benefit in reducing infections in both vaccinated and unvaccinated portions of the population when transmission levels were characteristic of seasonal influenza, underscoring the importance of vaccination in disease prevention and control. However, when the level of transmission was very high, even a highly effective vaccine, while protecting vaccinated individuals, did not protect those who were unvaccinated.”

The AAP updated policy, which builds on a 2016 statement reaffirmed in 2022, comes at a time when the AAP points out that the U.S. is seeing a rise in vaccine exemptions and, it noted, is experiencing the worst measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The statement claimed that of the 1,319 confirmed measles cases this year, 92% involved unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status, primarily children. The AAP argued that nonmedical exemptions undermine the public health benefits of school vaccine requirements, putting both individuals and communities at risk.

Not surprisingly, its bold measles fear proclamation is backed up by a Bill Gates-funded study declaring that measles can erase the body’s immune memory through a phenomenon known as “measles amnesia.” According to the study, this occurs when the virus wipes out immune cells that remember how to combat past infections. As a result, the study warns, as it stokes fear, kids who recover from the measles may then become newly vulnerable to diseases that they were once protected against, including life-threatening illnesses like severe diarrhea and pneumonia. The study declared that kids who contract the measles can lose up to 73 percent of their antibodies to other diseases, creating a domino effect of increased illness long after the measles infection has come and gone. With an estimated 400 to 500 deaths annually in the U.S. before the measles vaccine and not taking into account severe malnutrition, overcrowding, and poor medical infrastructure globally, the Gates study falsely asserts:

“In the time before vaccination, nearly every child experienced measles, which resulted in millions of deaths.”

The AAP statement points out that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require proof of immunization for childcare and school attendance, a policy the agency states it supports as an effective way to protect communities. With God-given herd immunity thrown out the window, AAP insists that high vaccination rates safeguard those who cannot be vaccinated due to age, allergies, or specific health conditions, as well as those children who may not develop immunity despite being vaccinated. But would they develop immunity after having the illness? The group leaves that part out. Instead, it declares that when nearly everyone eligible is immunized, the spread of contagious diseases is minimized, protecting vulnerable populations. The message is akin to the fear-based propaganda behind the experimental mRNA COVID jabs—get vaccinated for the safety of everyone.

Medical exemptions are necessary for children with conditions like immunosuppression or severe allergic reactions to vaccines, the AAP concedes. They press that these exemptions, however, affect only a small percentage of children and do not significantly impact overall immunization rates. In contrast, the AAP underscored that 45 states allow nonmedical exemptions, such as those based on religious or personal beliefs, which are the ones driving down vaccination rates and increasing public health risks.

So what is the AAP’s problem with religious exemptions? According to the AAP, nonmedical exemptions, which are permitted in 45 states, include religious exemptions and, in 15 states, exemptions for personal or philosophical beliefs. The AAP documented that no major world religion explicitly opposes vaccination, yet some individuals claim religious exemptions based on broadly defined interpretations of religion. Apparently now an expert on what defines one’s individual relationship with God, the AAP believes this loose interpretation has contributed to a steady rise in exemptions, with the national exemption rate reaching 3.3 percent in the 2023-24 school year, up from 3 percent the previous year. The group also reported that nonmedical exemptions make up over 93 percent of all exemptions, and routine childhood vaccine uptake among kindergarteners has dropped to below 93 percent, compared to 95 percent in 2019-20.

The AAP, which now greenlights dangerous drugs and aggressive surgeries for obese children, is not pleased with the variation in state policies, writing that they have led to uneven immunization coverage and created pockets of vulnerability. Indeed, just five states—California, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and West Virginia (big surprise)—restrict vaccine exemptions to medical reasons only. The AAP, which cited several court rulings that have upheld school vaccination requirements, warned that schools with higher exemption rates are less safe, as unvaccinated children are more likely to contract and spread diseases like measles. Still, free from the long list of toxins and likely debilitating conditions that are a result of the gigantic list of childhood vaccinations, there is mounting evidence that unvaccinated kids are far healthier in general. With homeschooling never more appealing, the group wrote:

“Fundamentally, policies that make immunization a uniform condition of school attendance and permit only medical exemptions are an equitable choice and strike the optimal balance between parental authority and public safety for all children.”