5320 - IMMUNIZATION

West Clermont Local School District

Administrative Guidelines

5320 - IMMUNIZATION
Immunizations Which are Medically Contraindicated

	A.	A written statement from any licensed physician that an immunization is medically contraindicated for a specified period of time and the reasons for the medical contraindications will exempt a student from the specific immunization requirements for the period of time specified in the physician's statement.

	B.	The physician's statement shall be maintained by the school as part of the immunization record of the student.

Immunization Requirements

Chicken Pox	-	Varicella vaccine (varivax) in accordance with the Department of Health and Human Services' immunization schedule or as prescribed by physician.
(Varicella)


Diphtheria,	-	Kindergarten
Tetanus,
Pertussis	-	Four (4) or more doses of DTaP or DT, or any combination. If all four (4) doses were administered prior to the fourth (4th) birthday, a fifth (5th) dose is required. If the fourth (4th) dose was administered at least six (6) months after the third (3rd) dose, and on or after the fourth (4th) birthday, a fifth (5th) dose is not required.



		Grades 1 - 12

		Four (4) or more doses of DTaP or DT, or any combination. Three (3) doses of Td or a combination of Td and Tdap is the minimum acceptable for children age seven (7) and up.


		Grades 7 - 10

		One (1) dose of Tdap vaccine must be administered prior to entry.

Measles,	-	Two (2) doses of MMR. Dose 1 administered on or after the first (1^st) birthday. The second dose must be administered at least twenty-eight (28) days after dose 1. (See Form 5320 F1.)
Mumps,
Rubella

Hepatitis B	-	Three (3) doses. The second dose must be at least twenty-eight (28) days after the first. The third dose must be given at least sixteen (16) weeks after the first dose and at least eight (8) weeks after the second dose. The last dose in the series (third or fourth dose) must not be administered before age twenty-four (24) weeks.

		Similar to other immunizations, the Ohio Department of Health has determined that the requirements for immunization against Hepatitis B will be progressive.

Polio	-	Kindergarten - Grade 3

		Three (3) or more doses of IPV. The final dose must have been administered on or after the 4th birthday regardless of the number of previous doses. If a combination of OPV and IPV was received, four (4) doses of either vaccine are required.


			Grades 4 - 12

			Three (3) or more doses of IPV or OPV. If the third dose of either series was received prior to the fourth (4th) birthday, a fourth (4th) dose is required. If a combination of OPV and IPV was received, four (4) doses of either vaccine are required.

No child, at the time of initial entry or at the beginning of each school year, shall be permitted to remain in school for more than fourteen (14) school days unless the child presents written evidence that s/he has been immunized or is "in the process of being immunized". "In the process of being immunized" means the student has been immunized against mumps, rubeola, rubella, and chicken pox, and if the student has not been immunized against polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and hepatitis B, the student has received at least the first dose of the immunization sequence, and presents written evidence to the principal or Superintendent of each subsequent dose required to obtain immunization at the intervals prescribed by the Director of Health.

Any student previously admitted under auspices of "in the process of being immunized" who has not complied with the prescribed immunization intervals shall be excluded from school on the fifteenth (15th) school day of the following school year. The excluded student shall be readmitted upon showing evidence to the principal or Superintendent of progress on the prescribed immunization interval schedule.

A student who has had natural rubeola, mumps and/or chicken pox, and presents a signed statement from the child’s parent, guardian, or physician to that effect, is not required to be immunized against such disease(s).

The School District will consult with the Ohio Department of Health and/or refer to its website (www.odh.gov) regarding the progressive nature of the above immunization requirements on a yearly basis.

Exemptions: Parent Objections

	A.	A student shall be exempted from mandatory immunization if the parent objects in a written signed statement upon the grounds that the parent declines to have the student immunized for reasons of conscience, including religious convictions.

	B.	This statement will be kept by the school as part of the student's immunization record.

Provisional Admission to School

	A.	A student may be admitted to school on a provisional basis if a physician or health department indicates that immunization of the student has been initiated and that the student is in the process of complying with all immunization requirements.

	B.	Such provisional admission shall be only for a length of time necessary to complete the inoculations.

Documents Accepted as Evidence of Immunization

The following documents will be accepted as evidence of a student's immunization history provided they comply with State requirements and contain the date when each immunization was administered.

	A.	a record from any public health department

	B.	a certificate signed by a licensed physician

Required Records

Each school shall maintain a record of immunization for every student which shall include the date of each individual immunization.

Records Available for Inspection

The principal shall make immunization records available for inspection by authorized representatives of the State Department of Health or the Clermont County Health Department.

Preservation of Academic Standing

In the case of a chicken pox epidemic in the school's population, the Superintendent may deny admission to a student who has been exempted from the chicken pox immunization requirement. The following methods are prescribed whereby the academic standing of a student who is denied admission during a chicken pox epidemic is preserved: Whenever a principal is notified that a student will be absent from school during an epidemic, s/he should contact the student's teacher(s) and counselor(s) so that plans for individual instruction can be developed. (See Form 2412 F1). Plans should be updated on a weekly basis during the terms of the denial of admission during the epidemic.

The principal shall make sure that the academic standing of a student who is denied admission during a chicken pox epidemic is preserved. The denial of admission will cease to exist when the Director of the State Department of Health notifies the Superintendent that the epidemic no longer exists.

Immunization of Students at Public Expense

The Board shall make application to the appropriate public body to secure, without delay, the provision, at public expense, of immunizations to students whose parents or guardians have not provided the requisite immunizations.