Tdap update:

I am sure everyone has been anxiously awaiting the result of the expiration of the Tdap extension. For those new to the game, this year, California required all students entering 7th-12th grades to receive a Tdap, or whooping cough, shot or else they would not be able to attend school. Over the summer, the governor signed a 30-day reprieve, a break that ended last week for my schools. On the first day of exclusion, we had 12 students still missing the shot; today it is six (after at least one student was saved from the exception to the rule - homelessness). The six can be accounted for by the following:

1. One student who only sometimes comes to school anyway.

2. One student whose parents can't be bothered to get her the shot, nor come to the school to sign the waiver, nor even come to the school to add an emergency contact - a teacher and family friend - to her card that would allow the teacher to be able to help her in an emergency, or, in this case, get her the shot.

3. One student who told me he received the shot the same time he received a TB test, except he only brought in the TB record, and would apparently rather stay home than bring in the other piece of paper that I need.

4. One student who has an appointment next week because at the one that she had before, well before the reprieve deadline, her mom brought her in late and they were forced to reschedule.

5. One student who has had the shot, and I've spoken with his mother to confirm this, but isn't bringing in the shot record. Rumor has it that he's really disliking school this year because it's hard to get around for someone of his size and this is an easy excuse to be "forced" to stay home.

    a) I believe it, because this kid is quite large and I can't imagine it's easy for him to get around; he's always huffing and puffing when I see him even if he's just standing around.

     b) What kind of parents allow him to do this?

6. One MIA that no one's sure about.

 

Several hundred down, just a few to go, but these last stragglers are taking more time and effort than all the others combined.