Note: I am not an attorney, and this should not be considered legal advice. It is the fruit of my experience working with parents and with many school districts.
A significant portion of the homeschool community do not immunize their children. Just for the record, my wife and I fall into this group. I'm not here going to argue for or against immunization, because the topic is the CPI form.
For those who immunize, simply attach a copy of the immunization record to your CPI form. For those who do not, there is the infamous "blue card."
The "Blue Card" is a waiver form. On one side is a form that a doctor can sign, stating that in the doctor's opinion, immunization is not in the best interest of the child. If you don't immunize, and you can find a doctor to sign this for your child(ren) then that will take care of it. Some have told me that they have had a chiropractor or somee other such practtioner sign it for them. Technically, a chiropractor's signature is not sufficient. In practice, however, it sometimes works, as I'll indicate later.
The other side is a religious waiver. It states that the parent is a member of a recognized denomination whose practices and tenets prohibit immunization. Some, through careful crossing out of some words and insertion of "my" have submitted a card that reads, "my tenets and practices prohibit immunization." And sometimes it works.
Whether or not either of these approaches will serve to pacify the school district (they are the only ones involved in enforcing this particular provision) come down to the concern and thoroughness of the person receiving the blue card waivers. Some school districts seem never to notice this part of the CPI form, and say nothing, even with missing information. Many times, the administrator simply asks the secretary --or sometimes school nurse-- whether all the forms are complete. She looks to see if there is an immunization form or blue card for each one--not inspecting each blue card in detail, only noting their presence--and if she indicates all are present, that settles the matter. In my experience, a particularly astute or aggressive school nurse is most likely to catch either of the above.
Where are you going?Two more issues should be mentioned before we move on here. The first concerns the penalty for failure to provide immunization, the second a little-noted provision of the law, mentioned on the blue waiver card. The competent private instruction statute simply cites chapter 139A.8 concerning immunizations. Although the wording has changed over the years, the consequence of failing to immunize remains the same: the child will not be allowed to enroll in school! Check for yourself here. (click on "Search Form" tab, then type in "139A.8")
Finally, you should also be aware that, no matter how you handle immunization, the law contains this little kicker:" The exemptions under this subsection do not apply in times of emergency or epidemic as determined by the state board of health and as declared by the director of public health." In other words, the state reserves the right to immunize anyone against their will, if they decide to. NEXT: 4. Instructional Program Information
Iowa Specific: