| In 2005, state legislators added two | | | | schools, were left with no clinic assistance |
| additional immunizations to the list that | | | | or lack of nursing staff for low-income |
| Baltimore schools must ensure all children | | | | families and parents who work long hours. |
| through the ninth grade have before attending | | | | |
| school. The first deadline for Baltimore | | | | Though many blame procrastinating parents, |
| schools' children for the new vaccinations | | | | there is no common thread as to why the |
| was the start of school for school year | | | | children were not immunized. The Baltimore |
| 2006-2007. Due to lack of compliance across | | | | schools will have to wait to discover the |
| the state, that deadline was extended to | | | | experiences of each of its schools, until |
| January 1, 2007. Students with scheduled | | | | that information can be gathered and |
| appointments for the vaccinations were | | | | analyzed. Then, they will be able to evaluate |
| permitted to attend classes for two | | | | the compliance methods employed by each of |
| additional weeks. | | | | the Baltimore schools. |
| | | | |
| We are now in February and 3,200 Baltimore | | | | Responsibility must be shared by all - |
| schools' students remain out of school, | | | | Baltimore schools' administrators who did not |
| because they have not received the hepatitis | | | | stay on top of the problem with planned |
| B and chickenpox immunizations. There still | | | | interventions to ensure compliance; the state |
| are a total of 12,000 excluded students | | | | health department that should have had plans, |
| across the state, who are not in compliance | | | | people and equipment ready to go as funding |
| with the new requirements. | | | | was received; legislators who did not ensure |
| | | | funding was there early enough to do some |
| Many state officials, as well as Baltimore | | | | good; and parents who should want their |
| schools' administrators, cannot believe that | | | | children protected with immunizations |
| such a problem exists. Though it was quite an | | | | important enough to garner the attention of |
| undertaking, they did everything possible to | | | | the state legislature. |
| ensure compliance. Working with state health | | | | |
| officials, the Baltimore schools mailed | | | | Additionally, all concerned in the Baltimore |
| letters to the students' homes, telephoned | | | | schools' district should realize that blaming |
| the parents, assisted in scheduling | | | | the parents for "procrastinating" breaks down |
| vaccination appointments, held conferences | | | | the lines of communication. It is critical to |
| with the students, and set up vaccination | | | | work together. For many of the Baltimore |
| clinics with late hours where possible. | | | | schools' parents, especially within the urban |
| | | | areas, it is difficult to get their children |
| Greg Reed, program manager for the state | | | | to the doctor for something other than an |
| health department's Center for Immunization, | | | | emergency. They work extremely long hours. |
| stated that the $1.3 million funding for the | | | | Many work two or more jobs just to make ends |
| project was not received until September. | | | | "almost" meet. There is little, if any, extra |
| That left very little time to set up free and | | | | money. When there is, it generally goes for |
| reduced cost clinics across the state. Many | | | | such luxuries as clothing for their children. |
| schools, including some within the Baltimore | | | | |