Health Care Worker Alert: ABC News Misquoted Vaccine Rights AttorneyAlan Phillips, J.D. However, the articles author misquoted me (a leading vaccine rights attorney) in a way that could put healthcare workers unnecessarily at risk if they rely on this article. Specifically, the article quoted me as saying: Religion is legally broad under the First Amendment, so it could include any strongly held belief . . . the belief [that] flu shots are bad should suffice. This is not true, and not what I said. Unfortunately, most people who write a statement of religious beliefs opposed to immunizations without first learning what beliefs the law does and doesnt protect unwittingly fall into one or more legal pitfalls that can undermine their exemption rights. This area of law is just not consistent with most peoples common sense approach. So, it is safest to get help from a knowledgeable attorney up front, as it can be difficult to un-ring the bell, as the saying goes, to recover from a rejection or your exemption request after you submit a statement that turns out to have a technical legal flaw. The ABC News article did go on to correctly quote me as having said, If your personal beliefs are religious in nature, then they are a protected belief [sic], but that is only part of the equation; the beliefs must also be sincerely heldagain, as the law defines that phrase. So, healthcare workers should NOT rely on the ABC article when considering their rights. No offense is intended to the ABC News articles author; the law in this area can be confusing. To the contrary, we appreciate ABC News for letting their readers know that some professionals feel so strongly about the matter that they are willing to lose their jobs to avoid flu shots. Indeed, the small number who lose their jobs represent a vastly larger number who object to mandatory flu vaccines but who simply cant afford to sacrifice their jobs to prove it. Alan Phillips, J.D. is a leading national vaccine rights attorney and vaccine legislative activist. For more information, see www.vaccinerights.com, or email Alan at attorney@vaccinerights.com. The above is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be legal or medical advice. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 