Tdap Vaccination Deadline Is Wednesday

Students without documentation of the shot will be excluded from school on Thursday

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 9/21/2009 3:32:00 PM

Wednesday is the last day sixth-graders can attend school without an updated Tdap vaccination. Students who have not received the vaccine or provided documentation will be excluded from middle schools Thursday.

In 2008, a state law went into affect requiring all sixth-graders (and students turning 12 after Aug. 1, 2008) who had not had a Tdap vaccination since July 2004 to receive a booster shot by the start of the school year. The vaccine protects children and adults from three serious diseases – tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). The law states that students who have not provided documentation of the shot must be excluded from school. Last year, students who produced appointment cards were not excluded, but this year they are not sufficient according to the state.

As of today, 542 students in Guilford County Schools had not provided a record of receiving the Tdap vaccination. In 2008, the numbers were much higher, with nearly 3,000 sixth-graders needing to provide documentation at the beginning of the school year.

“We are very pleased with the progress that has been made on Tdap this year,” said Robin Bergeron Nolan, director of school health services. “The number of students without documentation is going down every day, but we need parents’ help with getting the rest of our students vaccinated by the deadline. We don’t want any of our students to be excluded from school on Thursday.”

Parents can get their sixth-graders vaccinated at their family physicians’ offices or at the Guilford County Department of Public Health. The health department will provide the vaccine for free. Parents can schedule an appointment by calling the health department’s Greensboro location at 641-5563 or High Point location at 845-7655.

For more information about the Tdap vaccine, click on the link below.

http://www.gcsnc.com/parents/tdap.htm

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About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.