These new Tdap and MCV4 requirements are about to make me lose my mind. Trying to get these things turned in is next to impossible. As of today, I am missing almost 150 records between my 7th and 12th grade classes (we aren't a huge school so this is significant). More notifications are being sent out today (I starting requesting them at the end of the year, last year). I'm thinking I may need to start involving the athletic department in trying to track these down? Do any of you screen the team rosters for immunizations as an "OK to play" kind of thing? I'm thinking that may help me get some of them turned in a timely fashion. idk... I may be grasping at straws here

You are.

DO NOT get them involved.

Get the DOH involved.

We send out letters to students who are missing immunizations, giving them 10 days to comply. If they do not have them by the end of the 10 days, the students are withdrawn. I know that is impossible for you to enforce with that number of students, but it sounds like someone needs to step up and help you, whether it is your principal, the school district, or the state.

Does your state have a central immunization electronic warehouse? My state does, and it's required that MDs enter all vaccinations into it (although not all do). It's very useful because while it does put a burden on me, I at least have some control over getting some of my missing shot records. I had to request access from my DPH. I use every avenue I can before turning to parents because they just don't like turning things in!

Some states, including my own, have a state-wide immunization database that is accessible by healthcare professionals, including school nurses. At the beginning of the year, I was able to find Tdap and Meningitis verification on many of the 150 7th graders who were "Overdue" in my electronic record. It stinks that I had to chase down the info instead of the parents just providing it, as requested multiple times the prior school year and over the summer, but at least I got them off my list!

If our 7th graders do not have them before school starts, they don't get their schedule and can't start school without it. There are a few exceptions (homeless, kids on a catch-up schedule), and they're usually given 30 days. I just excluded 2 students yesterday. They were new 30 days ago, notice given, and they never provided records. Amazing how this morning parents managed to get the shots before school.

We also have a state database that we can access to print out their shot records.

Does your state have a central immunization electronic warehouse? My state does, and it's required that MDs enter all vaccinations into it (although not all do). It's very useful because while it does put a burden on me, I at least have some control over getting some of my missing shot records. I had to request access from my DPH. I use every avenue I can before turning to parents because they just don't like turning things in!

We do have one but the physicians' offices aren't required to use it, so it is a hit or miss for me with that one. I have used it to search for the missing records in both classes and have found several, but still not even close to what I should have.

The letter I sent home today gave a deadline with the advice that if we do not have the documentation by that date, their student will no longer be allowed to attend classes. This is the first year I've been given the OK to enforce this so I'm sure my name is about to blasted all over the place

The letter I sent home today gave a deadline with the advice that if we do not have the documentation by that date, their student will no longer be allowed to attend classes. This is the first year I've been given the OK to enforce this so I'm sure my name is about to blasted all over the place

Let them blast. It's their fault, not yours. Hold your ground on this.

Oooooo, I feel your pain on this topic too. Its amazing how many parents "didn't know" these immunizations were due even though letters were sent home at the end of the year last year, emails have been sent, letters have been re-mailed, and calls have been made. Its also amazing how fast they produce records when you give them a deadline and remind them their child will not be allowed to attend school after said deadline. Hopefully your administration will back you up with a deadline and a consequence for missing it.

The letter I sent home today gave a deadline with the advice that if we do not have the documentation by that date, their student will no longer be allowed to attend classes. This is the first year I've been given the OK to enforce this so I'm sure my name is about to blasted all over the place

I send those notes out passively. As in, I do not sign my name on them and keep them very generic. It has the students name and the immunizations that are missing but it's on a template and signed "School Health Services" Then when the parents call, upset about the letter, I say something like "Oh, yeah. I heard those letters went out. It is our policy, blah, blah" Usually if it appears that I am just the messenger then they are much nicer to me.

I only have 25 to screen, but after 4 I realized no one has updated vac info. I sent a mass email to that group of parents making them aware it is due and I need updates.

i start sending out my "you owe me shots" letters to my 5th graders in march (our tdap and meningo are due in 6th grade here). If i'm not completely overwhelmed at the end of the year and i've had a chance to put together a letter, I fire the first warning shot and put a colored notice in with the final fifth grade report cards.

Then in the summer time I put out an ominous "Final notice" on the brightest paper I can find to whoever is still noncompliant (usually still majority). I will say that this year was my record year for compliance. At this moment I only have 2 that i'm missing shots from. and The hammer will be coming down very very soon.

By the way - i have no problem being the heavy. No shots, no school. But - i can't set the date of compliance. That's the admin's job. And enforcing it really is too - but empower me to and i'm going for it.