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* WBEZ looks at the problem of unvaccinated students in Chicago-area schools…
At the Barbara Sizemore Academy, a charter school in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, only 62 percent of students are protected against measles. The rest, 98 students, either have exemptions, aren’t vaccinated or didn’t bring their shot records.
Jocelyn Mills, the school principal, says the number is concerning but her hands are tied.
“Each child’s individual circumstance in their family is different,” she said, adding there are economic and social barriers that keep students from getting the shots or bringing in the paperwork.
Low-income families often move frequently, and it gets harder to keep track of important documents. Some families, she said, don’t have access to medical centers where they can get free care and some students don’t live with their parents or legal guardians. […]
But excluding students is extremely difficult for school administrators to do, Mills said. “How do you close the door to 40 percent of the population, especially when you are also on the hook for attendance?”
I’m not sure what the answer is, but the state might start with putting resources on the ground in low-income areas and telling upper-income private schools to increase their vaccination rates or face a shut-down.
Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 12:44 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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In school vaccinations like they did in the ’60s
Comment by Groundhog Day Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 12:46 pm
=In school vaccinations like they did in the ’60s =
I seem to recall that we got the polio vaccine in schools, back in the day.
This makes so much sense. Get vaccinated at school, and the documentation can be in your “permanent record”, as they say.
Comment by JoanP Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 12:50 pm
===In school vaccinations like they did in the ’60s===
Do it at school and remove exemptions for anything other than specific health concerns.
It’s the 21st century and we have outbreaks of easily preventable illnesses because we’ve decided to let our policies be governed by irrational superstition based off of really bad information.
Parents do not own their children and the state (as in our society) has a responsibility to make sure that children remain safe.
Comment by Anon Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 12:55 pm
I definitely remember standing in line with my early grade school classmates for vaccinations in the mid 1970s
Comment by Any Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:01 pm
This may seem harsh, but I have more sympathy for the kids with legitimate health issues and can’t get vaccinated, and whose parents are keeping them out of school, than I do any other population. If you don’t have vaccination records you shouldn’t be allowed to go to school.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:09 pm
I’d still have a religious exemption, though I know those things are hard to write into law and could be exploited.
Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:11 pm
We have school physical and immunization clinics each summer before school starts, payment is not required from families with financial difficulties. Our county health department and volunteer medical staff take care of thousands of children every year. Why not do something like this in all high poverty districts?
Comment by Wensicia Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:21 pm
IDPH currently has an immunization registry which is currently voluntary, I suggest making it mandatory and require schools to check students against the registry prior to enrollment.
The poverty excuse doesn’t fly with me, immunizations and their availability for everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, is just about the only thing the American healthcare system gets right. Every local health department offers immunizations for free or a very low fee.
Comment by Reserved Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:38 pm
Some kids (very few) can’t get vaccinations due to a health conditions. Immune disease, cancer treatments etc What about limiting the number of exemptions to a minuscule percentage instead of religious exemptions?
Comment by George T Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:42 pm
=says the number is concerning but her hands are tied.=
No they are not. By statute, students not in compliance can be withheld from school.
That is not a pleasant thing to do, but usually the parents get the message.
And, there are many opportunities to get immunizations, there are places to get them for free and, if they are low-income families then they have access to medical care for the kids.
= adding there are economic and social barriers that keep students from getting the shots or bringing in the paperwork.=
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 1:53 pm
===I’d still have a religious exemption, though I know those things are hard to write into law and could be exploited.===
Nah. We have exemptions now and it’s being abused by folks that have decided their Facebook group fed propaganda is better than science and medicine.
No exemptions for anything other than medical reasons. We’ve accepted that human sacrifice isn’t a protected form of worship, and we should be fine accepting that contributing to the illness and death of others isn’t one either.
Comment by Anon Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 2:00 pm
Well said, Anon. No races beyond medical reasons.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 2:10 pm
A number of vaccines contain pork. This is a real problem for Orthodox Judaism and Muslim communities.
Comment by West Sider Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 2:11 pm
I remember being lined up and given shots at school. There was no option to get the shots. I don’t even remember having to get permission from parents. We were given the shots period or kicked out of school. Also remember having to get sugar cubes which contained some sort of vaccine. I can understand for health reasons, but what are these health reasons? Who says yea or neigh to them?
Comment by Mix_It_Up Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:03 pm
- West Sider - Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 2:11 pm:
A number of vaccines contain pork. This is a real problem for Orthodox Judaism and Muslim communities.
-I can only speak for the Jewish side of this question, but this is simply wrong. In fact, every leading Orthodox Rabbi in Chicago and the Jewish organization that is like a school board across all the Orthodox schools has issued strict instructions that tells schools (and parents) that it violates Jewish law to remain unvaccinated and that a religious exemption is not valid. The only exception is medical need.
Comment by Niles Township Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:10 pm
I agree with “Restricted” above. There is no excuse in my book, other than parents/guardians who can’t be bothered. I grew up in the 60’s, when all kids were immunized.
Comment by Sal Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:11 pm
Vaccinesafety.edu has statements from both Islamic and Jewish religious leaders stating vaccines with gelatin made from pork are permitted.
I’d link but I am on my Kindle.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:18 pm
We need to cut out the PC talk. The remaining 98% have bad parents.
Comment by The Dude Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:23 pm
Mix It Up, the health exemptions are individuals with abnormal immune systems. Some are from conditions they are born with, some are because of medical conditions (like childhood cancer being treated with chemotherapy). They are not that common, but are definitely a thing. Some individuals have allergies to certain vaccine components, although there are often alternatives for this situation.
Comment by Groundhog Day Friday, Apr 5, 19 @ 3:46 pm