Oct. 31--COLUMBUS -- The deadline for most students to get their second inoculation of the chicken pox vaccine has passed.
But a few students at Lakeview Community Schools and Columbus Public Schools have yet to get their shots.
A new law effective in July requires students in grades K-12 to get two doses of the chicken pox vaccine before being allowed in school. Several school districts extended the deadline to give parents extra time to set up appointments with health care providers.
Even with extra time, about 40 students in the Lakeview district have yet to comply with the new law, said Superintendent Russ Freeman.
The majority of those students are in 7-12 grades. Freeman said a language barrier might be a reason why so many haven't received the vaccination.
"I hope that either 'A', students are working through the proper channels and getting it set up, or 'B', have the paper work and haven't turned it in yet," Freeman said.
The district initially extended the deadline to get the vaccinations to the end of the month. But now, Freeman said, that will probably be moved again to the end of November. That will hopefully give parents enough time to schedule an appointment and not cause any child to be kept out of school and interrupt in their education.
Freeman said a better job needs to be done of communicating with families, especially those who are new to the school system, about health requirements needed prior to enrolling.
"We need to make sure families know it is a law and it needs to be done," he said.
Earlier this month, about 200 students at CPS didn't have their chicken pox vaccinations. They were given a deadline of Oct. 18 to either receive the shots or have an appointment set up. If not, they wouldn't be allowed back in school until that was accomplished.
Jason Harris, executive director of students services at CPS, said of those students, seven didn't get the vaccination. But since that deadline, the seven have gotten appointments set up with health care providers and will have received the vaccinations by the end of next week.
Just one of those students was kept out of school for a day until they were able to set up an appointment.
All Scotus students have been vaccinated.
Only students who hadn't had a full blown case of the chicken pox were required to receive the two doses of the vaccine. Proper documentation proving they did get the shots or had the chicken pox was required to be given to the schools.
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