Is it necessary to schedule an appointment in advance with the county health director to obtain a religious exemption?
You may want to call your county health department and inquire as to the procedures for obtaining a religious exemption. It is not necessary to provide detailed information about your request at that time (your name or your child’s name). Be sure to ask for the specific address of the office that authorizes religious exemptions as well as the name of the director or authorized agent who will be signing the form and the hours of operation. Some counties have more than one office location, so you will need to know which office issues authorized religious exemptions. Because authorization of religious exemption is simply a matter of having the religious exemption certificate (DH 681) signed by the director, it should be only necessary to have an advance appointment if there is some reason an authorized agent is not available each day of operation for signature. If the county’s procedures include requirements for counseling and/or waiting periods after the request is made and before the ce
It is not necessary to schedule an appointment in advance to request a religious exemption from forced compliance of vaccine requirements. To date, the directive to county health departments from the Tallahassee Immunization Agency regarding the handling of requests for religious exemption is not uniformly followed throughout the state. Some public health officials are very reluctant to honor the religious beliefs of individuals and will resist authorization of religious exemption by making unlawful requests for administrative proof, by making false statements regarding the religious exemption process, using intimidating language to discourage your request, or by delaying or refusing to make appointments with the county director. Whether you make an appointment or request an exemption on demand by walk-in, county health officials may not discriminate against religious beliefs and must grant a religious exemption without question. Q: What information do I need to provide the county heal
