HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE EXEMPT FROM VACCINATIONS?

With the recent uproar over measles and vaccinations sweeping the nation and sparking a real battle over whether parents should be forced to vaccinate their children, we wanted to find out the status of the South Orange Maplewood School District.

As we reported weeks ago, state law allow parents to be exempt from the law if they declare a religious objection, but do not have to specify what that objection is.

The exemption has been granted to 9,000 students statewide, with 714 in Essex County.

The SOMA district tells us that 92 students in the district out of 6,800 are exempt from vaccinations, with 71 citing religious objections.