Lowell MA school mandated vaccine system not Nazi enough, needs more enforcement

[Guest guest]

" The only students exempt from the state policy are those whose religious

beliefs or medical conditions prohibit vaccinations. Schools also cannot

exclude homeless students who aren't immunized. " - interesting that last

sentence.

Maybe you could claim 'homeless'

Sheri

From Belkin

" Lowell MA school mandated vaccine system not Nazi enough, needs more

enforcement "

http://www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105~4746~1882294,00.html

Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 2:12:08 AM EST

School vaccination system could use shot in the arm

Despite state law, districts struggle to protect students

By REBECCA PIRO, Sun Staff

In a perfect world, all students would enter the classroom fully

vaccinated. State law requires nothing less.

But in the real world of overburdened, underfunded schools, things aren't

so simple. The result: Many students enter the classroom without protection

from serious illnesses.

" We believe in a no-shot, no-entry policy, " said Dick Powers, spokesman for

the state Department of Public Health.

But the state leaves enforcement of that policy up to school districts and

failing to adhere to it leaves students at risk.

Lowell's immunization numbers aren't higher because the School Department

hasn't taken a firm stance on the issue, said Singleton, Health

Department director.

" The principals are all over the map with this stuff, because there's no

written policy, " he said.

The Health Department can recommend that the district exclude children from

school until their records are up to date, but it can't enforce it. That

leaves school nurses and principals without a written policy to fall back

on, left on their own to deal with a Catch-22: let the law slide, or

exclude students and put their education on hold.

" As a community, we need to be more aware of it, " said Hatem,

president of the Citywide Parent Council. " It puts everybody at risk. "

The only students exempt from the state policy are those whose religious

beliefs or medical conditions prohibit vaccinations. Schools also cannot

exclude homeless students who aren't immunized.

Barring exempted students, state numbers for the 2002-03 school year show

that 84.2 percent of Lowell seventh-graders had received all three doses of

the required Hepatitis B vaccine. That is slightly lower than Chelmsford's

89.9 percent and Tewksbury's 91 percent.

The state surveys immunization records at the kindergarten, grade seven and

college levels.

Currently, Lowell parents who want to register their children for public

school must present proof that their kids have received at least some of

their required vaccinations. Once the kids are registered, making sure the

rest are attained in a timely manner becomes the responsibility of the

school nurse.

" It is a very big job, " said Jo-Ann Keegan, chairman of Lowell's Board of

Health. " It's tracking all those students and making sure their

immunizations are done. "

The biggest obstacle in getting students immunized is not a lack of money,

health care or transportation, Keegan said, as the Lowell Health Department

and the schools work together to help families find free clinics and

immunizations.

" It's getting working parents to (make time) to get their children

immunized, " she said.

Lowell Superintendent Karla Baehr and Conant, Lowell's acting

director of school nursing, did not return calls to comment on the

district's practices regarding enforcement.

Tewksbury schools cracked down on immunization requirements some years ago,

when school officials and employees became concerned that too many parents

were not trying hard enough to fulfill the requirements.

" What we found out was, (parents) never got it done, " said Marcia Osterman,

school nurse leader for the district. " This is the state law. "

So Tewksbury shortened the grace period they allowed parents, and followed

up on threats to bar students when requirements weren't met. Today, 100

percent of their kindergartners are up to date on almost all of the

different required immunizations.

Chelmsford also keeps the grace period short. Students who are transferring

from another district or another country are allowed three to four weeks to

bring their immunizations up to date. Students who want to register for

kindergarten, but are not properly vaccinated, are simply not allowed, said

Anne King, district head nurse.

" It's for the safety of their own child, " she said. " Children have been

excluded who have not produced documentation, and parents have taken care

of it. "

Piro's e-mail address is rpiro@... .

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

vaccineinfo@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm

ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL

OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE

DECISION TO VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.

******

" Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down.

Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy

knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information

and religions destroy spirituality " .... Ellner