Thousands of students in Prince George’s County being kept out of school because they do not have the required state vaccinations for chickenpox and hepatitis B could return to classes soon.
John White, a spokesman for Prince George’s schools, said the system is working with the county health department to schedule immunizations for the 5,859 studentsat free clinics in Prince George’s by the end of the week.
“A family’s financial situation should not be a barrier,” he said. “A majority of students and their parents got the message about the requirements. We are reaching back out to those that did not get the message to get them appointments so they can come back.”
The state regulation required students in fifth through ninth grades to be vaccinated or show proof of immunity against hepatitis B and chickenpox by Tuesday or have an appointment scheduled by Jan. 20 in order to continue attending school.
“Those students are not in school because we are following the state regulation,” White said. “If a jurisdiction is not doing that, then they are in violation. That has health and educational implications. You cannot have children in school that can [get] sick and infect other children.”
Brian Edwards, chief public information officer for Montgomery County Public Schools, said Wednesday afternoon that at last count, 500 county students had yet to receive their state-required chickenpox and hepatitis B vaccines. Irm Pichot, a nurse administrator with Montgomery’s school health services, said that before winter break the number not in compliance was 1,600.
That number, though, is very much in flux because students technically have until Jan. 20 to come in with proof they’ve been immunized.
“We’re doing better than we were, but there’s still some more to go,” she said.
