The Duggars never shy away from speaking up about what they believe, even if their beliefs are controversial. They’ve all been forthcoming about being anti-abortion and anti-birth control — but are they also anti-vaccinations?

Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, are the only members of the family who have spoken out about the subject. “So basically, yes, we do vaccinate our kids, but we do selective and delayed vaccinations,” Jill revealed during a YouTube Q&A on November 23, 2020. “We don’t want to overload their system too much, so we want to make sure, of course, that they’re well. We also want to, like, space them out.”

The mom of two — who shares kids Israel, 5, and Samuel, 3, with Derick — further explained, “If they get a shot and then it reacts or something, we’ll know which one it is.”

The former Counting On star noted that when the couple traveled to Central America, they “wanted to make sure” a then one-month-old Israel “had some shots that were required for being down there.” Derick added that he even got “an additional shot” due to travel.

Do the Duggars Vaccinate Their Kids
Courtesy of The Duggar Family/Instagram

Though we’ve never heard a peep from Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar as to whether or not they, personally, believe in vaccinations, Derick seemingly spilled the beans during the same Q&A. “I think both of us grew up getting all the shots that were required for whatever the normal CDC schedule is, and then both of us had to get additional shots, me when I went to Nepal for two years and you with international travel growing up,” he said about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while motioning toward his wife.

That said, just because the famous family may vaccinate for international travel doesn’t mean they approve of all vaccinations. While many vaccines are required for a child to attend school, all of the Duggars are home-schooled. That means they aren’t legally required to be vaccinated for poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, red (rubeola) measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), haemophilus influenza type b, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, meningococcal and pneumococcal and other
communicable diseases, which Arkansas would require for school students.

Whatever their beliefs, it’s unlikely that the church is to blame. As a matter of fact, very few sects of Christianity have an issue with vaccinations and actually support vaccinating for the common good. If the Duggars don’t vaccinate, it’s more likely based on personal beliefs, like fear of causing autism, harming their kids’ immune systems or feeling that they’re unnecessary.

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