hepatitis a vaccine mandatory or optional for 2009-10 school year (Roma: home, private schools)

[catluvr]

School question (probably a controversial question...as most vaccine questions are):

Question 1: The school form has 2 asterisks by Hepatitis A vaccine. Is this a mandatory vaccine, or recommended vaccine?

Whenever you ask the school, they tell you all their vaccines are mandatory. What is the process for a waiver? Some states it is easier than others to waiver.

The school we are enrolling in states on its paperwork that enrollment cannot occur unless all vaccines are current! What if you are in progress of completing?

Question 2: Isn't it illegal to prevent a child from enrolling in school?

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by catluvr

School question (probably a controversial question...as most vaccine questions are):

Question 1: The school form has 2 asterisks by Hepatitis A vaccine. Is this a mandatory vaccine, or recommended vaccine?

Whenever you ask the school, they tell you all their vaccines are mandatory. What is the process for a waiver? Some states it is easier than others to waiver.

The school we are enrolling in states on its paperwork that enrollment cannot occur unless all vaccines are current! What if you are in progress of completing?

Question 2: Isn't it illegal to prevent a child from enrolling in school?

What's the problem, there is plenty of time until school starts in the fall to get it done, why not just get it done?

[Spree]

I think it's required now, here is the chart http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize...ol/6-14eng.pdf

On the second page of the link is the mention of Exemptions:
]>>Exemptions
The law allows (a) physicians to write a statement stating that the vaccine(s) required is medically contraindicated or poses a significant]risk to the health and well-being of the child or any member of the child’s household, and (b) parents/guardians to choose an exemption from immunization requirements for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief. Schools and child-care facilities should maintain an up-to-date list of students with exemptions, so they can be excluded from attending school if an outbreak occurs Instructions for the affidavit to be signed by parents/guardians choosing the exemption for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief can be found at www.ImmunizeTexas.com For children needing medical exemptions, a written statement by the physician should be submitted to the school or child-care facility <<

[pepper131]

You will have to find a doctor who will write a note for you. I avoided the MMR booster for a long time since my son had a severe reaction to it the first time aroun - my doctor provided a note. But now that he's grown, I updated his booster.

[catluvr]

So, can a TX school not allow you to enroll until you have completed all your vaccines? It says so on the sheet! Besides, the second vaccine cannot be given until 6 months after the first!

(What are we up to now...about 60 shots from birth until K (if you break them all up like M, M, R, T, D, aP, Influenza, etc...?)) The list of Kindergarten shots keeps getting bigger and bigger! I will be spreading them out! My poor kids will never get their adult shots...ever after that experience. Many other states let you waive as long as you need to until they are done for conscientious reasons. GRRRRRRRR!

Thanks for the Information about waivering. Unfortunately I will probably have to do it if it is mandatory! My kid's schedule got off track after a very bad joint reaction with a positive RA factor!

[catluvr]

Hepatitis A is a temporary GI illness (with rare side effects) that comes from someone having diarrhea, prepping our food and not washing their hands (or migrant workers picking our vegetables and fruits and using the outdoor restroom where there is no toilet paper)!

I have an idea...let's enforce handwashing and screen our food prep workers for diarrhea (a manager's obligation) and illness prior to letting them work! Let's wash our fruits and vegetables before we eat them!

So, here goes the venting: Once again, let's just mandate a vaccine for all of Texas because we can't get a handle on the illness that comes predominately from Mexico! Come on guys...Hepatitis A is easy to control (and totally different from Hepatitis B or C...which is far more serious) without a vaccine. WASH YOUR HANDS after you use the restroom, don't prep food if you have diarrhea and wash your fresh produce prior to eating it. NOBODY wants to eat YOUR fecal flora! So..let's mandate a vaccine for all of Texas instead of enforcing laws such as washing your hands prior to returning to work for 15 seconds!

[TXNGL]

So, can a TX school not allow you to enroll until you have completed all your vaccines? It says so on the sheet! Besides, the second vaccine cannot be given until 6 months after the first! >>

Must have the vaccines or the exemption ("reason of conscience" is relatively new in Texas), so go to the site that Spree gave you. I think I remember seeing the same thing that you're reading and thinking it sounded misleading since by law they can't force the vaccines.
Daughter is fully vaccinated but we did spread them out a bit.

[tifille3of4]

Originally Posted by TXNGL

So, can a TX school not allow you to enroll until you have completed all your vaccines? It says so on the sheet! Besides, the second vaccine cannot be given until 6 months after the first! >>

Must have the vaccines or the exemption ("reason of conscience" is relatively new in Texas), so go to the site that Spree gave you. I think I remember seeing the same thing that you're reading and thinking it sounded misleading since by law they can't force the vaccines.
Daughter is fully vaccinated but we did spread them out a bit.

I know this is an old OP, but I am sure many will be reading it regardless. You CAN file for exemption in TX - DON'T Let anyone force you to immunize your children - Thankfully, you do have a choice in Texas. You can even file for the exemption - for "reason of conscience" (basically what you personally believe - this is different than religious or medical exemption) online - you can get up to 5 copies at a time (choose 5 to have on hand) as schools want a copy, camps, sometimes afterschool care, sports, etc. Here is the link to the online exemption request. ALL public schools in Texas are REQUIRED by law to accept it - no questions asked. Private schools that do not receive funding from the state of any kind can choose to deny it.

https://webds.dshs.state.tx.us/immco/affidavit.shtm

Note that before you submit the form they send you to the school, you have to have your signature notarized and then have I believe 60 days to submit. KEY - The form is valid for 2 years AFTER notarized, so order your 5 copies and if you don't need them all, wait to sign and notarize the remaining ones!!!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

But please keep your unvaccinated kids home when they are sick. And when you go to the doctor, tell them the kid is not vaccinated and you want an isolation room or else you'll be spreading whatever he/she has around to other sick kids when their immune system is low or to babies that have not yet received all their vaccinations. This can get ot be quite a hot topic - all I am saying is that if that is your choice, please be considerate of the babies around you.

[aeh]

I took my son to get his mandatory vaccines for the 2009-2010 school year, the Hep vaccine and I believe the Menactra (for meningitis). Apparently this was something physicians were not expecting the State to announce this in March and the doctors don't have a ton of the vaccine. Yet it does state that you have to have it by the beginning of the school year so the nurse said it was good we came in early and didn't wait until right before school starts (we were there for a camp physical anyway).