The deadline for immunization against pertussis (whooping cough) has been announced today by the FCS administration as Sept. 21. Under a new law, which went into effect Sept. 29, 2010, every student, grades 7-12, must be immunized with a with a pertussis (whooping cough) booster shot (Tdap, tetanus-diphtheria shot) in order to attend school for the 2011-2012 school year.
It is the policy of FCS to adhere to the State of California’s mandates regarding required immunizations, and students must have a shot record proving compliance to these mandates or file an exemption in order to attend school. Students who have neither of these by the deadline will be asked to leave school until they have adhered to the law.
According to Kerry Roberts, campus registrar, students and parents have received phone calls, email and letters regarding the deadline since last April.
“All students in 7th-12th grade are required by law to have proof of a whooping cough booster Tdap shot, or file an exemption, in order to attend classes this year,” Roberts said. “Students will not be allowed to attend classes after Sept. 21 without a shot record.”
There are less than 20 FCS students on campus who have not yet complied with this requirement. Although students may have been immunized years ago, a booster is required for continued protection due to the contagious nature of pertussis.
Principal Todd Bennett states that the school is only respecting state law, and that students have little excuses against getting inoculated.
“Students aren’t allowed to go to school if they don’t have it done, it’s a state law, so get it done,” Bennett said. “For whatever reason the State of California has decided that everybody needs to be inoculated and they’ve given a deadline otherwise people wouldn’t do it. There are vacines and if there’s nothing in your religion that says that you shouldn’t be getting a vacine then you might as well do it and stay healthy.”
For more information, students and parents can visit the Shots for School website or read the May 17 article Vaccinations aim to prevent whooping cough outbreak.
For more news, read the Sept. 14 article, NFP organizes annual, school-wide gathering (VIDEO).