How To Obtain Religious & Medical Exemptions For School Vaccinations In Tennessee

Image Credit: Canva

Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –

With the start of the 2026-27 school year across Tennessee, state law requires children to have a certificate of immunization on file with their schools or childcare facilities. But in some cases, parents can exempt their child from vaccine requirements through either a religious or medical exception, both of which necessitate certain qualifying documentation. 

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, for the 2024-25 school year around 3.5% of kindergarteners in the state were not fully immunized, with the number of kindergarteners filing for vaccine exemption on par with the national average. 

The vaccinations required in Tennessee schools are: 

Entering preschool:

• Chickenpox
• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
• H. Influenzae and Pneumococcal (if under age 5)
• Hepatitis A and B
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• Poliomyelitis (Polio)

Entering kindergarten:

• Chickenpox (two doses or history of disease, aka natural immunity)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
• Hepatitis A (two doses) and B
• MMR (two doses of each)
• Polio (with second dose administered on or after 4^th birthday)

Entering seventh grade:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis booster
• Verification of immunity to varicella (either two vaccine doses or history of disease)

Tennessee law provides that parents seeking a religious exemption are required to submit a signed statement asserting the vaccinations conflict with their religious beliefs, under penalty of perjury. They must also check the Religious Exemption box in the upper right-hand corner of the certificate of immunization.

However, per TN Department of Health rules, a child not fully immunized for religious reasons may be required to submit to a health examination and provide documentation of such, a policy determined by “local educational authorities”. 

Some sample religious exemption statements based on Tennessee law can be found here, here, and here. 

For medical exemptions, parents or guardians will need to submit proof from a physician or Public Health Nurse that the child should be exempt due to risk or harm from a vaccine. The medical reason does not need to be specified, but the vaccines the child is not medically exempt from are still required. 

Parents will need to ensure the proper medical exemption boxes are checked on the certificate of immunization. 

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.