More than 160 students without vaccines banned from schoolThe Times-Tribune | BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL (STAFF WRITER) | Published: May 16, 2012
More than 160 area students were banned from attending school on Tuesday - and will continue to be excluded until they have required vaccines or proof of an appointment to get them.
In the Scranton School District, 155 students were kept out of class on Tuesday. In some districts in Lackawanna County, such as Lakeland, Riverside and Valley View, all students are either vaccinated, have the proper exemption forms or have appointments scheduled. Dunmore excluded one student, North Pocono two and Old Forge six.
Meanwhile, Western Wayne officials are refusing to ban students from school.
For most districts statewide, the deadline was Tuesday for students to submit proof of vaccinations, or paperwork for a medical exemption or exemption on religious, moral or ethical grounds to school officials. Families have had more than eight months to be in compliance, and a two-week deadline was given last month.
New state regulations require children in all grades to receive second doses of mumps and chickenpox vaccines. Students in seventh grade are now also required to have one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) and one dose of the tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap).
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman from the Pennsylvania Department of Health said the state did not know how many students have been excluded from school.
While the decision on whether to exclude students is up to each individual district, schools that have students without the required vaccines or exemption paperwork risk not complying with state law, according to the health department. Efforts to determine penalties for not complying, through the Department of Education, were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
All districts in Lackawanna County decided to exclude students on Tuesday if they did not have the vaccines, an exemption form or proof of an appointment.
Districts "carry the responsibility and burden of any public health risks that might be associated with not complying," spokeswoman Holli Senior said in an email.
Western Wayne has about 50 students who are not in compliance. Superintendent Andrew Falonk said he will not keep those children from school, especially with finals approaching.
"We have every plan to follow the laws of Pennsylvania, but we have no plans for excluding students and parents who are actively working with us to follow this requirement," he said. "Why would I send anyone home in the last four weeks of school?"
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Children in Scranton will continue to accrue unexcused or illegal absences until they are in compliance, Superintendent William King said. Most students without the vaccines are at Northeast Intermediate School or Scranton and West Scranton high schools.
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