New School Nurse. Help with immunizations!!!!

[anita07]

Hi everyone!!!! :-) :-) :-) :-)

I'm a new nurse got my license in February and landed a job as a school nurse.

I love it!!! Of course it has its ups and downs but enjoying it. I was thrown into the job with no training or where anything was so of course the first week was a little tough. I still have a lot of questions and concerns but most specifically on IMMUNIZATIONS in Texas. I do not have any idea what specific ones a child needs to enter PREK.....HELP!!!!

Where can i look or who can i contact or is there any classes or training on IMMUNIZATIONS?????

[Farawyn]

Make friends with the registrar --- they shouldn't be allowing kids in without the needed vaccines... mine is AWESOME.. she will not enroll without the required.. she knows better than most once they are in, it's almost IMPOSSIBLE to get them compliant, especially when school admins are worried about warm bodies in seats and don't want you to exclude for anything.

We exclude.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

We exclude.

Must be nice. Mine will let me send out the letters, but when it comes to excluding.. especially if they say, "well we can't do it for x many days"- she'll let them stay so they aren't absent (and loosing money for the school).

Our school also has the registrar call every kid (parent) that is absent every day to ask why they aren't in school- and if it isn't an excusable reason (like FEVER) they tell them the need to get to school or they will be unexcused. If they don't have a ride, someone goes and picks them up. If a kid is absent (and has a hx of absences) and nobody answers the phone- off to home visit they go.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Another huge help is the Pink Book from the CDC, it will help you translate foreign immunizations.

Pinkbook | Home | Epidemiology of Vaccine Preventable Diseases | CDC

Also under the McKinny-Vento act, you have to let someone who is declared homeless in, but that starts a 30 day window, and THEN you can exclude.

In NH, we do not recognize philosophical objection, only medical and religious and they must provide the appropriate documentation.

[ohiobobcat]

Wow. I had no idea the required immunizations varied so much from state to state.

Our required immunizations are:

5 DTaP

4 Polio OPV/IPV (the OPV kids are slowly phasing out by graduating)

2 MMR

1 Varicella or proof of disease

That's it.

We allow medical/philosophical/religious exclusion. Parents just need to write a note for the religious/philosophical exclusion. We need a doctor's note for the medical exclusion. I have less than 10 students (out of 670ish) who are have religious/philosophical exclusions.

[Cattz, ADN]

Do you all, in other states, besides Missouri: have to send a report to your state immunization people annually? This reports if kids are in compliance (or not).

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Yes Nov 15 I believe in NH

[kidzcare]

Do you all, in other states, besides Missouri: have to send a report to your state immunization people annually? This reports if kids are in compliance (or not).

Yep! Report what we have on file as of October 15, including if any students are excluded r/t being out of compliance

[Windchaser22]

For preK, in addition to the normal vaccines, we also require flu (up to 60 months). Exclusion if paperwork not received. The timing of this varies by district, sadly. Accept philosophical objection based on religious grounds. We get a physical audit annually by the health Dept.

Is anyone using their state immunization database?

[Farawyn]

For preK, in addition to the normal vaccines, we also require flu (up to 60 months). Exclusion if paperwork not received. The timing of this varies by district, sadly. Accept philosophical objection based on religious grounds. We get a physical audit annually by the health Dept.

Is anyone using their state immunization database?

The Sr. nurse in my district does. She oversees all. Thank God for her.

[Cattz, ADN]

Is anyone using their state immunization database?

Oh heck YES! If I ever had to go back to the old days, and have to go without it. I think I couldn't survive!!!! But, that being said, I still expect parents to provide a copy. But, if they don't, I hopefully have been able to print it.