Yes. Michigan has three exemptions: medical, religious and other. Michigan Law provides that a parent or guardian who objection to vaccination may give the school a written statement. This includes any daycare or pre-k that accepts state funding.

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Refer to the information earlier on this page or dive into our Michigan Law page.

You are not legally obliged to sign the American Pediatric Association's Refusal to Vaccinate form when delaying, separating, or declining vaccine(s) for your child. 

No. You are not required to bring your child to the session.

The health department nurse will cover the benefits of vaccines. MVC members who have attended a session reported that they did not receive information about vaccine risks or adverse reactions, or how to report an adverse reaction. 

No. You should keep the original copy and provide your school or daycare with a copy of that original. This is also stated on the bottom of the waiver form. 

No, not all vaccines on the CDC's childhood schedule are required.  Although we included a screenshot of the requirements from October 2025 earlier on this page for your reference, ​please refer to Administrative Rule R325.176(6-9) to confirm which vaccines are required for daycare and Pre-K through 12. But remember, you have a choice, which is protected under Statute §333.9215.

Michigan Law grants discretion for medical exemptions to the treating physician, but the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) can interfere, usurping your doctor's recommendation. 

Some parents are still successful using their own vaccine exemption statement, which was the norm prior to 2015 and the law outlining that process is still in place.

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Here is a sample vaccine exemption statement

To obtain a certified vaccine waiver, call the health department in the county of your school district, and then schedule a vaccine waiver education session. 

Only one parent or legal guardian needs to attend the session, and you are not required to bring your child.

To begin, you are not required to bring your children to the session. Secondly, you may be offered vaccines at the end of your education session, but you have the right to decline any that are offered. You do not need to provide a reason for declining. 

The school will tell you that you need a vaccine waiver for every skipped vaccine regardless of immunity, but you have another option. You can have your child tested for titers for that illness to prove their immunity. This way, your child cannot be excluded from school if there is a breakout. 

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Regarding chicken pox (varicella), Administrative Rule 325.176(9)(i)(iii) allows "a parent, guardian, person in loco parentis, or  physician statement that the child has had varicella disease."

Yes, you would still need to have a vaccine exemption or obtain a waiver for school. In the event of an outbreak for that waived vaccine requirement, your school may require a titer test to prove immunity, otherwise your child will be excluded from school until the outbreak ends.

The same would apply for other vaccine-targeted illnesses. 

Not currently. Administrative Rule 325.176 (12) is for:

• Each year of your child's state-funded daycare

• Preschool

• Kindergarten

• 7th grade

• Any newly enrolled student in a Michigan school district

You are not required to provide:

• Your doctor's name 

• Your insurance information

• Your reason for wanting the waiver prior to attending the session

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At the session, you will be asked why you want a vaccine exemption. By law, you can state religious or philosophical. It's not necessary to elaborate; you can state, "Injecting a vaccine into my child is against my deeply held beliefs." 

Yes, and you will want to keep the original waiver, and provide a copy of the waiver to the daycare or school your child is attending.

This is also stated on the bottom of the waiver form. 

School communications may make it seem like these are required, but the COVID-19, Flu, and HPV vaccines are not mandatory for Michigan school students and do not require an exemption. Administrative Rule R325.176(6-9) confirms which vaccines are required.