Penn Schools Have Poor Immunization Record
A public health nurse gives an immunization injection.
As reported here on May 16, schools across Pennsylvania were forced to ban students from attending as part of an effort to catch up on required immunizations and record keeping. Reports suggest that the effort payed off in many school districts. It took eight months plus two weeks, and the exclusion of hundreds of students to reach that end.
Pennsylvania, like all states, has a list of immunizations that it requires students in public schools to have in order to attend school. The state allows a medical exemption, as well as a religious / personal belief exemption.
(b) Religious exemption. Children need not be immunized if the parent, guardian or emancipated child objects in writing to the immunization on religious grounds or on the basis of a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.
Pennsylvania school districts, by law, cannot admit a student without proof of exemption or immunization. They have been, in the thousands.
The Republic:
Scranton School District – 139 students out of compliance on May 15
Bethlehem Area School District – 3,000 students out of compliance at start of school
Erie – 350 students on may 15
Lancaster – several dozen barred on May 17
Allentown – 3,000 unvaccinated in January
Philadelphia – 16% of student not in compliance in early spring
Tribune-Review:
Laurel Highlands School District – 17 students banned on May 14
Belle Vernon Area School District – 300 out of compliance in January / February
Southmoreland School District – 10 students excluded
Reading Eagle:
Reading School District – 40 students kept out of class
As recently as two weeks ago, more than 2,000 county public school students lacked documentation that they had received the vaccines.
The Citizens’ Voice reports the Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley West districts each have more than 200 students who are not up-to-date on their shots. Officials say those students are still attending school but will be excluded next year without immunizations.
Pennsylvania school districts allowed thousands of students to attend school without proof of immunization or an exemption.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 at 9:57 am and is filed under Medicine, Original writing, Original writing, Reporting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
