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Politics & Government

San Marino Schools Appear On Track With T-dap Vaccination

The San Marino Unified School District moves forward with the new state law mandating students entering grades 7th through 12th to show proof that they have received the whooping cough booster immunization.

San Marino students have needed to add the vaccination to their back-to-school checklist, and according to the district, most students are checking out.

“The response has been pretty good so far,” said Judy Mellick, District Registrar of Applications and Enrollment. “I would estimate that between 75 to 80 percent have already been vaccinated.”

Gov. Jerry Brown extended a state law mandating students entering grades 7-12  (known as “Tdap”). Students now have 30 calendar days after school starts to receive or show proof of their vaccinations. San Marino students will have a deadline of Oct. 3 to show proof. Students who fail to comply will not be allowed to attend classes until vaccination proof is provided.

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The t sent out an email blast to parents in January informing them of the mandatory vaccination for the 2011-2012 school year.

Mellick said the district is also planning a telephone blast targeted at families who haven’t submitted their vaccination history. While she emphasized a generally positive response from families and students, the official numbers will take some time.

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“We won’t have an official tally of the number of students who have been vaccinated and the ones who have not until later this month,” Mellick said.

Students who choose to be exempt from the T-dap vaccination requirement must sign a waiver with the San Marino Unified School District’s administrative offices. By signing the waiver, the student will be required by law to miss school for 21 days in the case of a whooping cough outbreak.

According to Mellick, only a small number of San Marino students have chosen to sign the waiver in lieu of vaccination.

“We highly encourage everyone to get vaccinated before school starts,” she said.  

For more information on low cost or no cost immunization providers, call 211. Click to learn more about where you can get vaccinated in the San Marino area. 

Correction: This article previously said the vaccination deadline is Sept. 22. It is Oct. 3. Patch regrets the error.

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