Do Catholic Schools Require Vaccinations? Exemptions and Rules

Yes, Catholic schools require vaccinations. In almost every state, the immunization laws that apply to public schools apply to private and parochial schools too, so a Catholic school follows the same required vaccine list and the same deadlines as the public school down the road.¹ The school itself does not set the rules, and being Catholic does not, on its own, give a family a way around them.

Which Vaccines Are Required

The specific list comes from your state health department, and most states track the recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.² Commonly required vaccines include those for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, and hepatitis B.³ The Catholic school’s admissions or health office will send you the exact list and the date documentation is due, usually before the first day of the school year.

If your child is behind, they do not have to start over. The CDC’s catch-up schedule lets a provider bring a child current on an accelerated timeline, and doses already given still count no matter how much time has passed.⁴

Does the Catholic Church Object to Vaccines

No. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated in a 2020 note that “all vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience,” and that using them “does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive.”⁵ The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops takes the same view while also encouraging development of vaccines with no link to abortion-derived cell lines.⁶ Church teaching frames vaccination as a contribution to the common good.

This has a practical effect if you were planning to ask a priest for a letter. Several dioceses, including the Archdioceses of Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, have instructed clergy not to write religious exemption letters, on the ground that Catholic teaching does not support refusing vaccine mandates on religious grounds. Many pastors will decline the request.

What Exemptions Are Available

Because a Catholic school follows state law, your exemption options are whatever your state allows. There are three types, and states vary on which they recognize.

Medical Exemptions

Every state allows a medical exemption when a licensed physician determines a specific vaccine is contraindicated for your child, for example because of a compromised immune system or a severe allergy to an ingredient.¹ You will need written documentation from the physician naming which vaccines are contraindicated and why. Some states accept a letter; others require a specific form or a submission through the state immunization registry.

Religious Exemptions

Twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C. allow exemptions based on sincerely held religious beliefs that conflict with vaccination.² Some states accept a signed statement; others require a notarized affidavit; a few require a parent education module first.

Two things trip families up here. First, enrolling in a Catholic school does not, by itself, qualify you for a religious exemption. The exemption turns on your personal beliefs, not the school’s affiliation. Second, because the Church’s official position supports vaccination, claiming that Catholic faith requires refusal is a claim officials in your state, or a reviewing court, may push back on.

Philosophical or Personal Belief Exemptions

Sixteen states allow exemptions based on personal or philosophical objections, with no requirement to tie the objection to religious doctrine.² Filing usually involves a signed form submitted to the school, sometimes preceded by an education module.

States With No Non-Medical Exemptions

California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York have eliminated all non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements.² In those states, the only route to enrolling an unvaccinated child in a Catholic school is a physician-documented medical exemption. The school has no authority to accept anything else.

How to File an Exemption

The paperwork is set by your state health department or department of education. The Catholic school’s office can hand you the forms and tell you the deadline, but the requirements are the state’s.

For a medical exemption, have your child’s physician complete the state’s form or provide the required letter, naming the specific contraindicated vaccines and the reason. Vague concerns without a diagnosis usually will not qualify. Turn it in before the enrollment deadline, which is typically the start of the school year.

For a religious or philosophical exemption in a state that allows one, expect to submit a signed statement or affidavit from a parent or guardian. Some states require notarization. Arizona, Arkansas, and Colorado are among the states that also require a parent to complete an educational module about vaccine-preventable diseases before the exemption takes effect, with a completion certificate submitted alongside the form.²

An Exemption Does Not Guarantee Attendance During an Outbreak

A filed exemption keeps your child enrolled under normal conditions. It does not keep them in the building during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. State and local health departments have authority to exclude unvaccinated students from school when a case appears, even students with valid exemptions on file, and courts have upheld those orders.

For measles, the exclusion period is typically 21 days from the last day of exposure, and each new confirmed case at the school can restart that clock. During exclusion, your child cannot attend classes, join extracurriculars, or be on school grounds. Some states require parents filing an exemption to sign an acknowledgment of this in advance.

Catholic Colleges Work Differently

The rules above are aimed at K-12 Catholic schools. Catholic colleges and universities set their own immunization policies, generally shaped by the law of the jurisdiction where the school is located, and third-party requirements for clinical rotations, study-abroad programs, or internships can add mandates the university itself cannot waive.⁷ If you are looking at a Catholic college, ask the student health office directly.

Rules change. Confirm current requirements and exemption procedures with your state health department and the school’s admissions office before you rely on any plan.

1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Vaccination Requirements
2
National Conference of State Legislatures. State Non-Medical Exemptions from School Immunization Requirements
3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended Vaccinations for Children
4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Catch-up Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents
5
The Holy See. Note on the Morality of Using Some Anti-Covid-19 Vaccines
6
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Vaccines and Biomedical Research
7
The Catholic University of America. Immunization Requirements for Students