Not up to date on shots? You could be excluded from school

Wichita school district students who aren’t up to date on their required immunizations will be excluded from school beginning Thursday.

The deadline is about a month earlier than it has been in previous years, officials said.

Since enrollment, parents whose children aren’t up to date on shots should have gotten letters, phone calls, e-mails or notifications at parent-teacher conferences.

Beginning Thursday, students at Wichita schools will be pulled out of class and told they will not be allowed to return until their immunizations are up to date.

For Kansas immunization requirements, contact your school nurse or health care provider, or visit www.usd259.org/Page/1984.

If parents received a notice but think their child has the required shots, they should contact the school nurse to be sure.

Kansas schools allow an unvaccinated child to attend school under two conditions:

▪ The child has an annual written statement from his or her physician saying that the child’s life or health would be endangered by undergoing the inoculation.

▪ Or, the parent or guardian has signed a written statement that the child is an adherent of a religious denomination whose teachings are opposed to inoculations.

During suspected disease outbreaks, any child claiming an exemption will be subject to automatic exclusion from school for up to 21 days.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Not up to date on shots? You could be excluded from school."