Mobile County HD Begins Issuing Refunds for Vaccine Religious Exemption Fees

February 27, 2025–The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) has begun issuing refund checks to clients who previously paid a documentation fee for vaccine religious exemption forms. The $30 fee had been charged to clients who had requested a record of religious exemption from otherwise-required vaccinations.

Clients who received vaccinations at MCHD were reportedly charged no fee for a vaccination record, while those who received shots from their own physician were charged $10 for an updated record of vaccination.

In October, 2024, the Liberty Council wrote a letter to MCHD challenging the higher religious exemption document fee. Liberty Council alleged that this differential treatment was improper and that it violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the State of Alabama, and Alabama law. In brief, Liberty Council argued that MCD's practice of charging $30 for the religious exemption documentation created an unjustified and financial burden on clients, thus undermining their religious liberty and violating their rights to equal protection under the law.

The Mobile County Board of Health met on November 19, 2024 and decided that MCHD would waive the documentation fee for clients applying for a certificate of religious exemption, effective immediately. The Board further determined to reimburse those clients that had previously paid the $30 documentation fee. In a letter of response to Liberty Council on November 21, 2024, the Board stated that they would commence this refund process within 30 days. The MCHD also updated information on their website to remove mention of documentation fees, applicable to religious exemption certificates. The Board admitted no wrongdoing in making these changes, all of which had been requested by Liberty Council.

Health Freedom Alabama (HFA) was instrumental in bringing about these changes, as they were the group that brought the MCHD's disparate fee schedule to the attention of the Liberty Council. In an email on February 26th, HFA reported that the first refund checks had begun arriving.

HFA Director Stephanie Durnin said in a statement:

"This is a resounding victory for religious freedom in Alabama. MCHD was violating the Constitution, and thanks to relentless legal pressure, they've been forced to back down. The days of profiting off religious belief are over."

Liberty Council is a national nonprofit litigation, education and public policy organization with an emphasis on First Amendment liberties, and a particular focus on religious freedom and the sanctity of human life.

Health Freedom Alabama is a grassroots organization that works towards protecting and strengthening parental and human rights regarding healthcare decisions in Alabama. For more information on Health Freedom Alabama, see healthfreedomalabama.com.

Dr. Bill Chitwood is a retired Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist who does political consulting and media relations. He is the author of Beyond Maga, available on Amazon under his pen name, Doc Contrarian. He can be found on Substack and social media as @DocContrarian.