Baltimore Sun (12.23.06) - Friday, December 29, 2006
Sandy Alexander

As of Dec. 23, more than 55,000 students were not in compliance - the deadline is Jan. 2, said state Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick. A 20-day extension is allowed for students who can prove they have an appointment to see a physician for the vaccinations. Otherwise, school district superintendents will suspend noncompliant students in an effort to make parents take the vaccination requirement seriously, she said.

School officials have mailed notifications home, used certified letters, telephoned, and used advertisements to make guardians aware of the vaccination campaign. The state allocated $1.3 million for the effort, said Greg Reed, state Center for Immunization program director. With state help, county health departments are taking calls about the program and working with schools to make the shots less costly or free. Immunizations will still be offered after the deadline.

In Baltimore, 8,883 students lack documentation of the immunizations, so county Health Department vaccination vans are holding extended hours and will offer Saturday clinics in January. "The message we all want to get out at this point is, if you do nothing else, call the school nurse," said Kara Calder, a county school spokesperson. "She will walk you through what you need to do."

Hepatitis B vaccination requires three shots over several months, so students will need to complete the whole series to be able to stay in school.
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