Kids Allowed to Go to School Without Vaccines for a Month

Procrastinating parents get an extention

Changes that took place in March requiring schools to get three new vaccinations became a problem this week when many parents who hadn’t yet gotten their children the new vaccines rushed to do it at the last minute. The influx of kids led to a shortage of vaccines.

However, the kids won’t have to miss school because vaccinations weren’t available. The Department of State Health Services has extended the deadline to receive the vaccinations before Sept. 30, and allowed students without them to be provisionally unrolled until then.

The department reasoned that students would lose out more by missing the days of education, possibly free lunches, and would run the risk of going unsupervised while their parents were at work.

Hundreds of parents lined up Friday for hours to get their kids the newly required shots before the deadline, but many were turned away when man power and supply was maxed out.

The new mandate relieves the fears of many parents who worried their children would be turned away from school on their first day.

Here’s hoping the kids don’t get tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis between now and then, and that their parents don’t put off the shots until the day before again.

Holly LaFon has written and worked for various local publications including D Magazine and Examiner.

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