Over 40 students not yet vaccinated for the whooping cough and
are excluded from school.
Time is up for Morgan Hill Unified School District students to get their vaccines for the whooping cough, or pertussis.
Mandated by the state, all students in public or private schools from seventh through 12th grades must receive the Tdap shot 30 days after the first day of school, which was Aug. 18 for MHUSD.
Originally mandated that students receive vaccinations before the first day of school, an extension made by Senate Bill 614 allowed students the extra 30 days.
MHUSD students had until Monday morning to show proof of their immunization card before being excluded from school, said Lisa Atlas, Director of Student Services for MHUSD.
As of Monday morning, 46 students district-wide did not turn in proof of vaccination. Broken down that is 23 from Live Oak High School, 19 from Britton Middle School, five each from Martin Murphy Middle School and Central Continuation High School, and four from Sobrato High School.
If students fail to be vaccinated, they will be “sent home right away” until they bring in proof of the booster shot, said Atlas.
“We’ve given parents ample time and sent home so many letters,” said Atlas.
Parents do have the option to sign a waiver for their child if for religious or personal reasons decide they do not want them to be vaccinated. Atlas said although waivers are not encouraged, they are accepted and will allow the students to not be excluded.
In fact, letters were sent home to parents two week ago and again on Friday as final warnings that students would be excluded from school without immunization.
On Thursday Sept. 15, 104 students in the district had not yet shown proof of vaccination although that number was rapidly decreasing, said Atlas. Those included 27 from Britton, 9 from Martin Murphy, 8 from Central Continuation, 46 from Live Oak and 14 from Sobrato.
An administrator from Sobrato said the number went down to eight students as of Friday morning.
“We all worked really hard. When you start off with that many students, and get down to this … we feel really good,” said Atlas.
