Immunization Question!

[KH_RN6, BSN]

Hi All!

I am in Missouri. I work at my districts early childhood center. My understanding is that early childhood/Pre-K is considered "childcare" not necessarily school? I could be wrong. Anyway, I have 3 kiddos going off to Kindergarten next school year. These 3 kiddos all have "parental exemption" cards from the health department to forgo immunizations. What happens when they go off to the elementary schools? These parents have to try to get a "medical" exemption or "religious" , OR do they just have to get in-progress cards and start getting the shots? How does that work?

Also, since exemptions are being brought up! I had a teacher come to me, she has a student starting, mom started the vaccinations, or maybe completed ( no one knows yet, she hasn't enrolled in school or provided any paperwork yet) but now has decided she's done vaccinating her child. SO I told the teacher, either way, she needs to provide an exemption card? correct? UNLESS the child has completed all the series, which I think is unlikely. So even if she is "current" or "Up to date" per her age on shots, she'll still need to provide the exemption card. Does that make sense?!

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I am unfamiliar with the rules in your state.

In TX there are rules for child care and rules for school age (but they're remarkably similar).

What is the district policy for starting with or without vaccines? In TX the parent cannot start until they get the first round of shots or obtain the state's exemption for vaccines (which lasts for two years).

If your district policy is not "no compliant vaccines, no start) then I feel really badly for you. Remember, compliant means actually up to date with all the age-required vaccines, so people on a catch-up schedule wander out of compliance every month (sometimes) or six months until it's done or they get whatever the exemption is.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

I'm not too sure about Missouri's vaccine laws. I know in my state (NJ) that the daycare / pre-k's and other "child care centers" are all audited for vaccine compliance just as I am. In fact, my state requires a seasonal flu vaccine be given between sept and dec for any pk or daycare under 5. So im on the hook to prove all my pre-k's are UTD. If a parent is claiming religious exemption, then they have to do so in writing and it is considered that they can't pick and choose -it's all or nothing. So when i had a fully immunized pk this year have Mom call my in a snit over having to get a flu shot, she ended up printing this long letter off of the internet. and submitting it. I can guess that for kinder next year she'll get the vaccines he's missing for k (actually, he won't need to get them because of this letter, nor will i let them know), but in that case, then i'll have to explain to her that her religious exemption letter is null and void.

[ihavealltheice]

My PreKers are technically in school, so they go by the school laws, not childhood. But, I believe they're fairly close if not the same anyway.

As far as exemptions go, that varies state by state. In my state, I have to get a new exemption form every time any vaccination is due for compliance (for my state: PreK, K, 6th, and 12th). If mom doesn't want to finish the series, she would still need an exemption form for the remainder of the doses and any other vaccination that she is unwilling to get at that time. She'll need an updated one once the next set of vaccinations is due to be given.

[Mavnurse17, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, ruby_jane said:

Remember, compliant means actually up to date with all the age-required vaccines, so people on a catch-up schedule wander out of compliance every month (sometimes) or six months until it's done or they get whatever the exemption is.

These kiddos can be so hard to keep up with because parents don't seem to understand that they have to go back for certain vaccines i.e. Hep B ? Having parents call me like "I just took them last month!" Well, it's time to go again.