New York Vaccine Exemption Ruling: Teen Wins Return to School

In a major victory for medical freedom and parental rights, a New York federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction allowing 16-year-old Sarah Doe to return to school this September, after the Oceanside Union Free School District repeatedly denied her medical exemption from the hepatitis B vaccine despite overwhelming medical evidence of serious harm.

This ruling — which legal experts say could set a precedent across the state — affirms that school districts cannot override the judgment of a licensed treating physician when it comes to medical exemptions, a decision that could impact thousands of children in New York.

Background: A Life-Altering Vaccine Reaction

Sarah was once a healthy 11-year-old who rarely needed medical care. But after New York repealed its religious exemption for vaccines in 2019, she was forced onto an “aggressive catch-up” schedule — receiving 18 vaccine doses in just six weeks, including two doses of the hepatitis B vaccine in rapid succession.

The results were devastating. Sarah developed:

• Acquired von Willebrand’s disease — a rare bleeding disorder

• Severe autoimmune hypersensitivity reactions

• Debilitating pain, migraines, rashes, and repeated hospitalizations

• Life-threatening episodes of sepsis and kidney complications

Her condition is a recognized contraindication to further hepatitis B vaccination, according to the vaccine’s own package insert. At least six treating physicians and a nurse practitioner certified in writing that another dose could kill her. Even a pharmacy walk-in clinic refused to vaccinate her due to the risk.

The School District’s Refusal

Despite this mountain of medical evidence, the Oceanside Union Free School District insisted she could not attend class without a third dose of hepatitis B — the only recommended vaccine she had not received.

The district argued her symptoms were not listed in the CDC’s official guidelines, ignoring that the law requires an individualized assessment and does not give school administrators the power to substitute their judgment for that of a licensed physician.

The Court’s Ruling

On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York sided with Sarah. The judge’s preliminary injunction allows her to:

• Return to classes this September

• Continue her lawsuit without losing access to education

• Maintain her physician-granted medical exemption

Attorney Sujata Gibson, representing Sarah, called it a “significant victory that radically alters the medical exemption problem in the state of New York.”

Children’s Health Defense CEO Mary Holland said the decision sends a powerful national message:

“Vaccine injury is real, and medical exemptions from licensed treating physicians are final. No more bureaucratic second-guessing, putting children’s lives at risk.”

Why This Case Matters

1. Precedent-setting — It’s one of only two recent cases in New York where a judge upheld a student’s medical exemption against school district opposition.

2. Statewide implications — Could end the practice of districts rejecting valid exemptions without medical authority.

3. ADA protections — The ruling affirms that vaccine injury-related medical fragility can qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

4. Medical autonomy — Reinforces the role of the treating physician as the final authority on a child’s health needs.

What’s Next

The ruling is preliminary, meaning the case will continue, but judges only grant injunctions if the plaintiff is likely to win at trial. For Sarah, the immediate outcome is the most important: she will be back in school this fall, surrounded by a community that turned out over 200 people in pink to support her in court.

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