any other ideas on what could be done. School form.

[loveyourohana]

Comming here for ideas Sorry this is long...

I had a scare a while back with my son being put in a line to recieve the mmr vaccination that he had a medical exemption for durring a flu shot clinic at his school. I found a paper while cleaning up his room one day that stated flu shot season, and if you do not wish your child to recieve any vaccinations they are missing this form needs to be turned in with your signiture. If the form is not returned we will accept this as consent from the parent. I checked the date... and guess what it was that day. I called the school couldn't get through, so I threw on some shoes and drove as fast as I could to the school. I ran through the doors and pulled him out of the line... he had 3 students in head of him.

Of course I was mad as (^*&... he had a medical exemption they had overlooked, and he would have recieved it without my written consent. Possibly putting my son in the ER... he had multiple seizures rashes etc.

This happened a couple of years ago, and it has always weighed on my shoulders. No consent... is NOT consent. So I decided to opt him out of the registry, explain why, and just go with a religous exemption for all of them...

I recieved an email back from the lady with the opt out registry, she was not happy with what happened with my son, and wanted to know what was going on within the district that would allow this to happen, and that she would be personally contacting the district, making sure that the system was not being abused. As well as making changes to make sure that this doesn't happen again. She actually stated that the flu clinics were not meant to catch children up on vaccinations, they were there for parents who wanted their children to get a flu shot. So the district was already abusing power to make medical choices already.

I found out today that they make you sign a form when you enroll your child that gives them complete authority to make those decissions for your child. The paper litterally states that any or all vaccinations can be given at school, and gives permission to the school district to do so. If you do not sign this form, that child will not be enrolled... Then in the middle of the year, they feel they already have parental consent. No matter the exemptions handed in apparently. Or my son wouldn't have been in line.

I have a chance to make a difference here... and I have help from someone who is willing to help me make sure this doesn't happen again, and has a greater pull to do so. Not every school has a flu shot clinic, but I want to make sure the loop hole isn't there anymore! I was thinking that changing the district forms would be my suggestion... but it needs to be in a way that both informs the parents of the options they have open to them, and also is accepted by those in the school district.

All I am doing is adding the other option at the top of the form you are forced to sign.

This is what it reads right now... thats it.. no other options...

I _____________ give the __________ school district permission to catch my child__________ up on any vaccinations they are behind on.

and then there is a list.

MMR _____________ signed ____________ given __________nurse_________
DTaP


As a parent I would like to see my options... so here is my suggestion for the form. (that I don't think should even be there anyway) but I believe just tagging this statement to the top of the form would be sufficient for me to feel like I wasn't being forced into something by my childs school district.

* Anyone who doesn't want vaccinations caught up or given, religous, medical or philisophical exemptions may be signed and handed in as a replacement for this form.

A) I ______________ parent of ________________ do not give consent to any vaccinations given by the school district or without my written consent to do so. I have handed in a _____________ exemption, for any or all vaccinations that we do not agree with.

B) We are vaccinating our child with a different schedule than what is suggested by the CDC, and working with our childs doctor on a schedule that is better suited for our child. You do not have permission to administer any vaccinations to our child, they will be administered by our family DR. ___________________________.

C) (just as they have the form now) I _____________ give the __________ school district permission to catch my child__________ up on any vaccinations they are behind on.

and then there is a list.

MMR _____________ signed ____________ given __________nurse_________
DTaP


MMR ______________ parental sign. _____________ date________
DTaP...

etc etc etc.... each and every one signed for...


Any other ideas on how to help this...

My other request for the registry and something I would like to see as a parental choice is who is allowed to read that file. I like that my sons medical exemptions are right there for every Dr. to see. But I dont' like the fact that the school district has access to my sons files, I feel I should be able to use that registry to my advantage, its supposidly there as a service for us right. Meaning if the school dilstrict pulls up my sons name... instead of them recieving infor. for his vaccination records they recieve,

"parent has requested that school systems do not have permission to access these files. Contact parent for any information, medical exemptions, religous and or philisophical exemption, other vaccination schedules being administered with a family Dr. and or allergic reactions will be discussed at that time.

What would you as a parent like to see happen.

I would personally like to see anything medical never pushed into the schools system. But it has been so, one small change at a time right At least there is not room for the mistakes my son was submitted to.

[Ophelia]

Wow...and this was just a couple years ago it happened?! Most, or all, schools won't even allow a child to bring an Advil to school and take it themselves, yet they allow shoot-ups like this? How do they know if some of the children didn't just have an MMR or flu shot? They don't.

1. Schools should not be in the business of medical 'care' (isn't it nice what our educational tax dollars are paying for? Granted it's probably the health dept. paying for most of it, but they are pulling kids out of class when they should be LEARNING)
2. Even so, they should have a signed form TO get the shots

I went to school in 70s/80s and am sure that they never offered vaccinations, I always got them at the clinic.

[bobandjess99]

Okay...no public school can possibly, under any possible interpretation of any law that i' know of, FORCE you to sign a form saying they can vaccinate your child whenever they feel like it or else refuse to enroll your child. that just makes absolutely no sense at all.
I suppose a private school might be able to get away with it, since they can deny admission, but since you are referencing a "district" so it sounds to me like a public school district.
the very obvious thing to do is NOT sign the form they claim that you "have" to sign...I'm sure no one has ever challenged it, and they will back down VERY wuickly when you stand up for your rights. if you have to turn the form back in, just cross off everything they have written and write in your own statement saying you do NOT give consent for ANY vaccines and attach your exemption.

[melissabb]

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

Okay...no public school can possibly, under any possible interpretation of any law that i' know of, FORCE you to sign a form saying they can vaccinate your child whenever they feel like it or else refuse to enroll your child. that just makes absolutely no sense at all.
.

In a perfect world this would be correct. But I had it out with the local health unit here. Here is the short form of what happened.

I noticed that the school was having a vax clinic. I called the health unit and asked how it worked. They said ALL grade 8 kids go to the gym. They are all assumed to have the vax unless there was a specific form stating an exemption. So, then I asked, if my 12 yr old went to the gym and didn't have a form but verbally voiced his/her rejection of the vaccine what would happen??? Wanna know what the health unit said????? Brace yourself here....

They said, "If your 12 year old did not have a SIGNED objection then we would "counsel" them on the merits and risks of the vax and then if they agree we vax them anyway" What the.....????

So, basically, they corner an unwary 12 yr old and talk them into the vax and then inject your perfect innately healthy and non-immuno compromised treasure with a vax!

I was in total shock and utter disbelief that 1. this was the practice of the health unit, and 2. that they would actually admit to this.:

This is EXACTLY why we should be teaching our kids from very early on what vax is about and why we choose not to vax. My kids are pretty informed and they are only 8yrs and 5 yrs old. You have to be savy. Kids spend time with grandparents, school officials, etc etc and not all of these people hold the same opinion of vax. There are times when our kids are not with us and we need to inform them so they atleast have some chance in the case we are not there. KWIM?

[loveyourohana]

WTH... SO it isn't just the school system here that is that messed up!!!!
Wow... I feel a little better. I can't believe they do that, I am sure it is the same here as well, wouldn't surprise me.

The kicker with my son, and the whole line up. He told them he couldn't have it, and was allergic, and they told him that I gave them permission. When I got there, those were his words to me... Mom why would you give them permission to give me a shot I am allergic too? I decided something needs to change... I don't know how, but something does.

[loveyourohana]

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

Okay...no public school can possibly, under any possible interpretation of any law that i' know of, FORCE you to sign a form saying they can vaccinate your child whenever they feel like it or else refuse to enroll your child. that just makes absolutely no sense at all.
I suppose a private school might be able to get away with it, since they can deny admission, but since you are referencing a "district" so it sounds to me like a public school district.
the very obvious thing to do is NOT sign the form they claim that you "have" to sign...I'm sure no one has ever challenged it, and they will back down VERY wuickly when you stand up for your rights. if you have to turn the form back in, just cross off everything they have written and write in your own statement saying you do NOT give consent for ANY vaccines and attach your exemption.

I wrote signed under duress, wrote on the mmr, and Pertussis lines that I did not give permission for these vaccinations, and that he had a medical exemption in place for them... along with changing the wording at the top line stating that he was up to date with all vaccinations, and that I needed to be contacted personally yadda yadda, and he still ended up in that line. I would like to say it was a mistake, perhaps it was in a state with phil. and rel. objections, but they sure had it out to get every child.... but I don't know. Oh... and the nurse came out, and stated that she would still have had her child receive the vacc. with the med. exemp. if it were her, because the risks of Measles Mumps and Reb. out way another poss. reaction. I said, even if your childs titers were up from the first one they have already had. I am not you! I would not take that chance of another seizure, not ever!

Also the way they reacted when I pulled him out of the line... "Did you check his records, and his form first?" "Oh let us pull his records.. oh look here a medical exemption, good thing you got here, we wouldn't have given it to him when we saw that?" "Oh really? Why are you just pulling it out of the drawer now?" "Well you signed a paper when you enrolled him, he wouldn't be enrolled without that signiture..." "Ok... Did you check that paper and read it?" Oh... look here it says I do not give permission for you to give him either of these two... and he is up to date on all his others. "Well you got here in time, and no harm was done, we will be more cautious so this doesn't happen again." I was sooo mad!

You better bet they didn't even look to see if every parent signed that form, because to them, that child wouldn't be enrolled if it wasn't signed. My sons in school, she must have signed the form? Better bet I wont be signing anything like that ever again... and will be handing them something to sign before my child is enrolled.

[Emmeline II]

I don't know if this site would help:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/reg/ferpa/index.html

They cannot deny enrollment with an exemption, but......ugh, it's not as if they check the paperwork! Did your child's teacher know of his exemption?

Have you considered a med alert bracelet? That may at least prevent your son from being in that position again.

[loveyourohana]

I hadn't thought of a medical bracelet... that is such a wonderful idea... that wont stay an idea for long! That way his voice isn't ignored either. I was also told that any time a child asks to phone home and check with parents.. .they can't deny the child that right... so we have been talking about that too... I like the medical bracelet. Thats why I love this site. Its so nice to be able to get other intakes, not feel alone, and all the wonderful ideas do come up. Great Idea Emmeline II Thanks!

Checking out FERPA right now... thanks for the link as well. I am actually going to just call them... they have a contact number... It will be nice to find out if this school district can get away with it, and if not, see a change in how things are handled. I can't believe I didn't think of going there... its been a while since teaching... and I still don't understand the district.

[Emmeline II]

A couple of other things I would want:

• No opt outs; everything requiring parental permission would be an opt in (this is a hard one).
• Anyone administering a vaccination would have to sign a copy of vaccination exemption law,that they understand medical and religious exemptions.
• In the absence of explicit written parental permission, a vaccination cannot be given to a child who objects (to avoid situations like yours ).

Though, as you said, it would be better for schools to abstain from giving vaccinations altogether; they could kill a child with their negligence.

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

Have you considered a med alert bracelet? That may at least prevent your son from being in that position again.

I made my DD a bracelet that says No Tetanus Toxiod. It's the only one I worry about the possibility of it being administered without my consent.

[loveyourohana]

I had another thought... that is... if a parent wants to have blood drawn to show that titers are up, so that there is not over vaccination. Or as replacement to any vaccination, etc. that way anyone using Nosodes or Homeopathic vaccinations could do so freely

[SunshineJ]

Wow how scary! Another good idea would be to press the district to insist that on the student list of names, there be an indication of those who have an exemption on file. There's no reason this couldn't be a field in the computer system (it may already be!) and have both fields print out. That way as they're going through the list, "oh, here's Johnny - wait, he has an exemption on file, none for him!".

K.