Seattle Schools to turn away nearly 1,000 students missing vaccine records

January 08, 2020 / 9:12 am

caption: Kids file into Laurelhurst Elementary School on Friday, June 16, 2017, on NE 47th St., in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle Public Schools plans to turn away students who have not met vaccination requirements today.

The district said Tuesday that nearly 1,000 students were still missing either proof of vaccinations or exemption forms.

State law has long required schools to exclude students who are out of compliance with vaccination requirements. But many districts have not been following the law for years.

In Seattle, district officials say last year’s measles outbreaks around the state served as a wake-up call.

They’ve asked parents to keep students home today if they don’t have the required paperwork.

Those who come to school anyway will be sequestered until their parents pick them up.

It’s sad that this is necessary, but there are free vaccines available. There is no excuse for not getting an immunotypical child vaccinated. School attendance should be dependent on all non-compromised children receiving vaccines. https://t.co/n7MS1LHGsM
— T. Eugene Day (@EugeneDayDSc) January 8, 2020

The district held three vaccination clinics over winter break to get more kids in compliance.

Officials say students can also be easily immunized at school health clinics.

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Ann Dornfeld
Reporter

Ann is a reporter on KUOW's Investigations Team. Previously, she covered education stories for KUOW for a decade, with a focus on investigations into racial and socioeconomic inequities.
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