Immunizations

Flare, ASN, BSN · Sep 22, 2016

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.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2016

I just sent out my missing tdap letters. I've already gotten 5 copies of a recent physical I didn't have :).

I start out passively with a letter home. I sign it. I don't mind owning state guidelines and let parents know what I am doing is above even the school level. Most parents respect that. I also have access to our state-wide database and that has helped a LOT. But not every doctor's office has linked to it yet and some haven't checked the right box for access, so I see "unknown" and I can't fix the student's info :madface: .

After the letter, I call and email home. Email is cc'ed to the principal so parent can see. With it is a date to comply. Usually that gets them. (I do also try to help, though. I tell them if they are having trouble getting the paperwork they need from their child's doctor, let me know and I will help.)

Windchaser22 · Sep 22, 2016

I have excellent support from the principal. Notices went out in the spring and then the "can't start school" letter a week before the first day. Involved the HD for the provisionals and had full compliance. It was a hassle but it worked. Now I'm after the provisionals and will send the "your child can't come after such and such date" letters tomorrow for those I've already called, twice.

Supernrse01, BSN · Sep 23, 2016

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

Thanks Far! That's the way I'm looking at it also. I feel like I have given them PLENTY of warning and time to have this taken care of.

Supernrse01, BSN · Sep 23, 2016

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).
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.

Sounds like my plan of action, as well. A letter went home end of March early April, with a reminder letter mailed home with final report cards. Then another letter was sent out at the beginning of this school year.

I'm fine with being the heavy, as well. I didn't write the rule, I'm just the messenger and collector of goods :) I'm hoping admin will still be completely on board when they hear the final count of missing records on 10/3.

DEgalRN · Sep 23, 2016

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 had my principal sign them. Our state school nurse association recommends them coming from principals since kids can be excluded and that's not actually the nurse's recommendation in this case. I'm happy to follow that recommendation! :)

100kids, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2016

I send a letter home with each child in April/May spelling out exactly what they will need for the start of the next school year. Once school starts I send my own letter first for the ones I am missing and then one signed by the principal for the ones still missing even with a warning. I mother my own children I don't want to mother every kid in the building! Is that really too much to ask? Some days these parents really get to me...

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Sep 23, 2016

I mother my own children I don't want to mother every kid in the building! Is that really too much to ask? Some days these parents really get to me...

And with 100 you have enough of your own!

peaceful2100, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2016

Ummm, yeah if I hear the word immunizations one more time. I'm going to lose my mind. :no: I'm telling you all I'm even having dreams (well, nightmares) over immunizations. I really truly have on more than one occasion considered turning in my resignation all because of immunizations and the intense pressure.

Yet, we can't exclude students yet. Well, I'm doing what I can. I'm the new nurse in this school so I was not here last year to send letters out to inform the families of the new requirements over immunizations.

My thing is why are kids being enrolled in school without immunizations. It should be a law that unless your kid has their immunizations they can not even be enrolled in school. The exception is their is that 30 day rule for families who are homeless/in transition but I'm telling you more of those kids have all their immunizations than the others who are not in transition.

I'm in a school with over 1,000 students and they are from over 39 countries. We have a very large population of families who do not even speak English or even Spanish. That is another huge problem.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Sep 23, 2016

Ummm, yeah if I hear the word immunizations one more time. I'm going to lose my mind. I'm telling you all I'm even having dreams (well, nightmares) over immunizations. I really truly have on more than one occasion considered turning in my resignation all because of immunizations and the intense pressure.
Yet, we can't exclude students yet. Well, I'm doing what I can. I'm the new nurse in this school so I was not here last year to send letters out to inform the families of the new requirements over immunizations.
My thing is why are kids being enrolled in school without immunizations. It should be a law that unless your kid has their immunizations they can not even be enrolled in school. The exception is their is that 30 day rule for families who are homeless/in transition but I'm telling you more of those kids have all their immunizations than the others who are not in transition.
I'm in a school with over 1,000 students and they are from over 39 countries. We have a very large population of families who do not even speak English or even Spanish. That is another huge problem.

Your nightmares are justified. Oh my. If you are in the US, the homeless/ transitional kids are covered through ICE to be directed to welfare services that get immunizations ASAP.

KKEGS, MSN, RN · Sep 24, 2016

Wow! 150?!? In my school of 800 I'm only missing 49! Sorry! We send out letters on October 1st telling the parents they have until October 15th to get into compliance or have a waiver signed and notarized or their kids will be excluded from school. We also have a state database although clinics aren't required to enter shots into it so it doesn't always help. And luckily the principal

gets to be the one to tell parents their kids can't come to school, not me!

Farawyn · Sep 27, 2016

NOW COMPLIANT or IN PROCESS.

Boom.