Harford County students get another brief reprieve from school thanks to two professional days this week, but immunization requirements still hang over a few of them.
State law says that all students up to ninth grade must have proof of vaccinations against chickenpox and hepatitis B in order to attend classes, and Harford joined many other counties in extending the Jan. 2 deadline by about 20 days and offering free clinics to ensure most students could be
immunized. School officials said Monday that fewer than 500 students throughout the county?s 50 schools still require vaccination and could be asked to stay home when classes resume on Wednesday.
“The numbers at many schools are between one and three,” said schools spokesman Don Morrison. “But any student out is one too many.”
The Harford County Health Department had estimated fewer than 1,000 students needed shots as of last week, he said.
The health department offered a free immunization clinic Saturday at Bel Air High School and has provided other free clinics for students, Morrison said.
The Bel Air immunization clinic had fewer patients than anticipated, said Health Department spokeswoman Tina Regester, though she attributed that to the low number of students still requiring the shots.
Starting Friday, nonimmunized students were sent to the nurse?s office instead of class, though Morrison said he heard many stayed home.
The exclusion of unvaccinated students should drive the message home for parents of the few holdouts, he said.
“Unless something happens, many [parents] may believe in their heart of hearts that ?they won?t exclude my child.? ”
