https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-families-rush-to-meet-jan-8-vaccination-deadline-for-students
by Suzanne Phan, KOMO News
Published-
TOPSHOT - Children listen to their teacher as they sit in a classroom on the first day of the start of the school year, at the Chaptal elementary school in Paris, on September 2, 2019. - In France some 12.4 million students crossed the doors of elementary schools (6.7 million), secondary school (3.4 million) and high schools (2.3 million) on September 2, 2019. (Photo by Martin BUREAU / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)
lessPhoto: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty ImagesTOPSHOT - Children listen to their teacher as they sit in a classroom on the first day of the start of the school year, at the Chaptal elementary school in Paris, on September 2, 2019. - In France some 12.4
... more
TOPSHOT - Children listen to their teacher as they sit in a classroom on the first day of the start of the school year, at the Chaptal elementary school in Paris, on September 2, 2019. - In France some 12.4 million students crossed the doors of elementary schools (6.7 million), secondary school (3.4 million) and high schools (2.3 million) on September 2, 2019. (Photo by Martin BUREAU / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)
lessTOPSHOT - Children listen to their teacher as they sit in a classroom on the first day of the start of the school year, at the Chaptal elementary school in Paris, on September 2, 2019. - In France some 12.4
... moreHundreds of Seattle families are rushing to make sure their children can come back to school after winter break, as if they're not in compliance with vaccination requirements, the district won't allow them in the classroom.
A new state law that took effect in July means families can no longer opt out of getting the MMR vaccine because of personal or philosophical reasons.
At Seattle Public Schools, officials said last Tuesday, 2,274 students got letters they would be kept out of school on Jan. 8 if they don’t meet all their vaccination requirements.
A big measles outbreak earlier this year in Washington resulted in more than 70 cases, so more school districts are requiring their students to get vaccinated for mumps, measles, and rubella.
RELATED: Some students have not been vaccinated, as the law requires
The new Washington state law regarding MMR vaccines does not change religious and medical exemptions laws. That means, students can still opt out for religious and medical exemptions, just not for personal reasons.
To help those students out, the district is hosting three free vaccination clinics. Here in Seattle, there's one more free vaccine clinic -- Friday Jan. 3 at Seattle World School from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
It's not just a Washington state issue. According to the Center for Disease Control, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 5, 2019, there were 1,276 individual cases of measles confirmed in 31 states. The CDC says the majority of the cases were people who were not vaccinated against measles.
RELATED: We must talk more about measles - and less about anti-vaxxers
"When epidemics start, they often start with children," says Washington 8th District Rep. Kim Schrier. "Children are cramped together in the classroom, they're not controlling their own germs, and so when we can protect kids, we protect the whole community."
Under Washington law, personal or philosophical exemptions are still allowed for vaccines against other diseases like Hepatitis B, diphtheria, or polio.
All parents have to do is submit a certificate of exemption to prove their children are in compliance. Nationwide, five states have now prohibit personal and philosophical exemptions for any kind of vaccine—Iowa, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
